1
as in dropping
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
downed his opponent with one stunning blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in sipping
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat
downing slices of pizza and guzzling bottles of soda
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dismissing
to reject by or as if by a vote
all attempts to ban indoor smoking had been downed by the town council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downing
Then there's the mental hurdle of downing a glass of brown or yellow liquid.
—
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
The junior running back rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught another as his team recovered a fumble and recorded three interceptions en route to downing crosstown rival East Ridge 23-15 at TCO Stadium in Eagan.
—Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported downing at least 51 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
—Lilia Geho, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
After downing Oceanside 32-0 on Monday night, Del Norte (12-4) was riding an 8-game winning streak.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
By Andy McCullough, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma For the first time since 2018, the Milwaukee Brewers have won a postseason series, advancing to the National League Championship Series after downing the Chicago Cubs, 3-1, in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jim Lorentz crossed paths with the American Motel in Wheat Ridge many times — whether as a cop hauling out a domestic violence suspect, as a diner downing comfort food in the restaurant or as a guest in the Elvis suite on his wedding night.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Ukraine is also fielding increasing numbers of small interceptor drones which have had considerable success at downing Shaheds.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The New England Patriots secured their first win of the season on Sunday, downing the Dolphins in Miami, 33-27 — a win that also gave head coach Mike Vrabel his maiden victory in his new job.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
The junior running back rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught another as his team recovered a fumble and recorded three interceptions en route to downing crosstown rival East Ridge 23-15 at TCO Stadium in Eagan.
—Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported downing at least 51 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
—Lilia Geho, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
After downing Oceanside 32-0 on Monday night, Del Norte (12-4) was riding an 8-game winning streak.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
By Andy McCullough, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma For the first time since 2018, the Milwaukee Brewers have won a postseason series, advancing to the National League Championship Series after downing the Chicago Cubs, 3-1, in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jim Lorentz crossed paths with the American Motel in Wheat Ridge many times — whether as a cop hauling out a domestic violence suspect, as a diner downing comfort food in the restaurant or as a guest in the Elvis suite on his wedding night.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Ukraine is also fielding increasing numbers of small interceptor drones which have had considerable success at downing Shaheds.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The New England Patriots secured their first win of the season on Sunday, downing the Dolphins in Miami, 33-27 — a win that also gave head coach Mike Vrabel his maiden victory in his new job.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing
Verb
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Yet just east of the busy Grand Canyon Village lies a stretch of road with equally jaw-dropping vistas and far fewer crowds.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
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Though the number of uninsured motorist was decreasing during the 2010s, the COVID-19 pandemic reversed the trend, with some Americans, who were driving less often, dropping their insurance, USA TODAY reported.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rey laughed and left the deck on the table, sipping on his Kola Champagne.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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All the Phillies players are left with is the memory of watching the Dodgers’ celebration before sipping beers as the sadness settled.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But dismissing the rise in antisemitism as mere policing of speech about Israel is disingenuous and dangerous.—
Dafna Michaelson Jenet,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
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Less than four months later, though, a California judge stopped her in her tracks, dismissing her entire complaint on a technicality.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
18 Oct. 2025
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Kurt's key takeaways Tesla's dream of a fully autonomous future keeps hitting speed bumps.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Live little fish on our tongues and swallowing them.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
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The platform has evolved into the default center of gravity for the creator economy, swallowing categories like music, gaming, education, and now podcasts.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When Benson was on the ice killing penalties, the Sabres generated two scoring chances and allowed zero.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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But Halfmann suspects this hair-trigger system is needlessly killing brain cells in diseases like Alzheimer's.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After facing controversy for slamming the inclusion of a same-sex couple in Disney’s 2022 movie Lightyear, Snoop Dogg has changed his tune.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
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Stein responded on Monday to the GOP statehouse leaders' announcement by slamming them for failing voters and calling out how the state legislature has yet to pass a budget.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For Slingerland, drinking alcohol and getting drunk are important to human well-being and complex societies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 2025
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One of the passengers had shown Matney a cell phone video in which everyone on the boat was drinking and Paul was steering the boat.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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