DOWNING Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

downing

verb

present participle of down

as in dropping

to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall downed his opponent with one stunning blow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of downing Tornado sirens blare and strong winds cause chaos — downing branches, trees and powerlines, damaging buildings and pulling the roof off houses. — Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Sep. 2026 As leaders meet, overnight Russian strikes kill and injure civilians, ignite fires and hit transport and shopping hubs, underscoring the war’s reach even as Moscow touts downing hundreds of Ukrainian drones. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 The object of his attention is Alexander Isak, the striker who left Newcastle for Liverpool a year ago after downing tools and refusing to play and is now back on Tyneside for the first time. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Wind gusts reached speeds of up to 115 mph, downing palm trees and causing damage to boats and buildings. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026 Tahj Washington made a special teams play, downing a Bradley Pinion punt at the 2-yard line. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 The powerful storm swept through Chicago late Tuesday morning, downing large trees, and produced a 99-mph wind gust in nearby Gary, Indiana. — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026 His penchant for downing bottles of wine throughout his life seemed reasonable. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026 In England, an 18-year-old woman suffered three cardiac arrests after downing 10 Jägerbombs, a cocktail that combines an energy drink with the spirit Jägermeister. — Ashley Okwuosa, STAT, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing

Verb

Although Ed Sheeran has no more openers on his Loop Tour, at least one artist is coming to his defense after dropping Macklemore over his pro-Palestine remarks.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2026
The Bucs couldn’t ask for a better bounce-back opponent after dropping their opener in Cincy, a somewhat deceiving result because of all the Baker Mayfield turnovers.

— Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of dropping

Verb

Without billions in funding and a stadium site, the rest is flowery prose, but there is no sense in dismissing any potential bidder a year or two before the bidding opens.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly in September 2026, Mirren praised working with Brosnan and Hardy, dismissing rumors of tension on set with the latter.

— Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

Iamaleava looked poised in the pocket, going through multiple reads and hitting pass catchers across the field in an array of spots and formations.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Rising fuel prices caused by the instability at the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits are hitting farmers in parts of the West just as harvest season opens.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Enzymes need direct contact with food to do anything, so swallowing one on an empty stomach delivers almost no benefit.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
Seven Chicago-area residents died after swallowing Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide in September 1982.

— Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of swallowing

Verb

The confrontation began Friday after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a mosque, and gunmen stormed the facility, killing 21 people and wounding 103 others.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
The capital city is known for its tight air traffic and was the site of the deadliest crash in the United States in years in January 2025, when two aircraft collided over the Potomac River, killing all 67 people on board.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

Two workers picking up traffic control equipment were killed when an Amazon delivery vehicle collided with their truck and sent it toppling over a guardrail on I-95 in southeast Georgia, according to state investigators.

— Asia Simone Burns, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026
And while some don’t want to wait that long to have the chance of toppling Infantino, the current FIFA boss does have some support swimming in the sea of objectors.

— Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of toppling

Verb

From there, the camera captures the lovebirds and their friends running through halls naked, romping around in bed, dancing, and drinking champagne in customary rock star fashion.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
The family had also been working with a feeding tube as Keough dealt with difficulty eating and drinking during treatment.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026