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
His unit commander, a four-time ace at downing drones, never even played video games.
—
David Hambling, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
After downing Memphis in the semifinals, Ed Pinckney, Dwyane McClain and the Wildcats played what would be remembered as the ‘Perfect Game,’ going 22 for 27 from the field and upsetting Patrick Ewing and defending national champion Georgetown in the final, 66-64.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 20 Mar. 2025
Over the weekend, a twister outbreak ripped across seven states — Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana — uprooting trees, tearing apart homes and businesses and downing power lines.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2025
It was suggested that KU may have been a fatigued team Thursday after downing UCF in an overtime slugfest Wednesday night.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
The ministry reported downing UAVs over 10 Russian regions.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
Davis, who is at Anaheim Esperanza in the Southern Section, avenged a one-point loss to Juarez in her section final by downing Juarez 8-3 in the 145-pound final.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
These winds will be capable of downing trees and power lines and blowing around debris.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
Despite downing a large coffee early in the morning, by the afternoon, Aaron was dozing in the waiting room.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
David Hambling, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
After downing Memphis in the semifinals, Ed Pinckney, Dwyane McClain and the Wildcats played what would be remembered as the ‘Perfect Game,’ going 22 for 27 from the field and upsetting Patrick Ewing and defending national champion Georgetown in the final, 66-64.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 20 Mar. 2025
Over the weekend, a twister outbreak ripped across seven states — Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana — uprooting trees, tearing apart homes and businesses and downing power lines.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2025
It was suggested that KU may have been a fatigued team Thursday after downing UCF in an overtime slugfest Wednesday night.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
The ministry reported downing UAVs over 10 Russian regions.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
Davis, who is at Anaheim Esperanza in the Southern Section, avenged a one-point loss to Juarez in her section final by downing Juarez 8-3 in the 145-pound final.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
These winds will be capable of downing trees and power lines and blowing around debris.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
Despite downing a large coffee early in the morning, by the afternoon, Aaron was dozing in the waiting room.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing
Verb
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Most importantly, the proposal provides that, when discovery items are turned over belatedly, judges can impose consequences that stop short of dismissing the whole case, if a lesser remedy can ensure fairness to the defendant.—
Jane Manning,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2025
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Just a few days later, the Israeli government effectively began the process of dismissing Gali Baharav-Miara, Israel’s attorney general.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But instead of stopping, Burnett tried to drive away, hitting a tow truck in the process, police said.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The driver pulled out a gun and fired six shots, the witness said, hitting not only the belligerent passenger but also an uninvolved man sitting nearby.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Kids older than one year can be given honey to help neutralize the damage, but swallowing a button battery is a life-threatening emergency for which parents should immediately seek medical care.—
Ryan Murphy,
The Indianapolis Star,
24 Dec. 2024
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Symptoms include general weakness, muscle weakness, dizziness, double-vision, abdominal tension, constipation, trouble with speaking or swallowing and difficulty in breathing.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hundreds of drones being used as part of a Saturday night aerial light show in Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando appeared to be flying into position before several started falling from the sky before slamming to the ground, according to videos posted online.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
23 Dec. 2024
-
His endorsement of the AfD came alongside a video of a far-right German commentator slamming the leading candidate to become Germany’s next chancellor, the conservative Friedrich Merz.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Other home remedies are drinking hot tea with honey and lemon and breathing in steam from a hot shower.—
Amelia MacIntyre,
Verywell Health,
14 Mar. 2025
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This study showed no difference in people's thyroid hormone levels after drinking a broccoli sprout beverage for 12 weeks.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The flower stem can grow to be two to three feet tall or more, often making the plant somewhat top-heavy, so staking or weighing down the container can help prevent the pot from toppling over.—
Janet Carson,
arkansasonline.com,
30 Dec. 2024
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Then came Ukraine’s Maidan revolution in 2013, when tens of thousands of Ukrainians filled Kyiv’s Maidan square for days before toppling the pro-Russia regime.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, says the risk of mental health problems caused by ingesting mushrooms in a supervised clinical setting is low, but may be higher outside of a clinical setting.—
Kate Ruder | KFF Health News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2025
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Augustin was hospitalized after ingesting the rosary beads, and has since been booked in jail on multiple charges, including misdemeanor battery and criminal property damage.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The team looks to address that in the first round here, selecting space-eating defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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The ketogenic diet – an eating plan that emphasizes fat and protein over carbs – has certainly had its fair share of pluses and minuses added to its balance sheet over the years.—
Michael Franco,
New Atlas,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downing. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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