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
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
Across July, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported downing 3,008 Ukrainian drones at an average of around 97 per day.
—
David Brennan, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
Tarnopolsky notes that downing creatine alongside a small portion of food may help prevent any stomachaches.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
What to Know Early Saturday morning, high winds damaged infrastructure, toppling trees, tearing off roofs and downing power lines, leaving thousands without electricity.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
The visiting Cañoneros earned two points for defeating Los Angeles FC in penalties and downing Houston Dynamo last week.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Williams doesn’t make a big fuss about her homecoming, hanging around town, shooting darts, and downing hot dogs.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
The air-defense squads have gotten rather good at downing the Shaheds with only one in 10 hitting a target these days.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 May 2025
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
David Brennan, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
Tarnopolsky notes that downing creatine alongside a small portion of food may help prevent any stomachaches.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
What to Know Early Saturday morning, high winds damaged infrastructure, toppling trees, tearing off roofs and downing power lines, leaving thousands without electricity.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
The visiting Cañoneros earned two points for defeating Los Angeles FC in penalties and downing Houston Dynamo last week.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Williams doesn’t make a big fuss about her homecoming, hanging around town, shooting darts, and downing hot dogs.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
The air-defense squads have gotten rather good at downing the Shaheds with only one in 10 hitting a target these days.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 May 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing
Verb
-
Several colors and prints are 30 percent off, dropping this pick to under $100.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The trend reversed, with the rate dropping to 28% in the 2022-2023 school year, but attendance hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Guests at the celebration were also shown sipping wine and spending time in nature, including painting on canvases as a group.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
There’s nothing better than strolling in a light jacket, sipping a cool can of seltzer, is there folks?—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Put frankly, dismissing intention has boxed the ivory tower into a corner for its ability to handle difficult conversations relating to religion.—
Matthew Mayhew,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The singer defended Siwa and recounted her own experiences as a bisexual woman falling in love with a man after previously dismissing the idea.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
But the Braves came back with three runs in the eighth on an RBI single from Matt Olson, a run-scoring triple from the hot-hitting Ozzie Albies and a single from Drake Baldwin.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This can make swallowing painful.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
4 Sep. 2025
-
These cosmic enigmas defy our everyday understanding of space and time, swallowing light and matter and pushing the laws of physics to the extreme.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The couple is accused of killing their 7-month-old son despite the fact that authorities have yet to find the infant's remains.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
After killing Martin, Lawson poured gasoline on the dead man's body and his surroundings before leaving the scene, according to police.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Video evidence showed a trooper punching the man and slamming him to the ground during a 2021 incident.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
In the disturbing footage, Raja was seen entering the ring and picking up Smith above his head before slamming him hard on the mat.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some people find that drinking it on an empty stomach, such as before breakfast, can also lead to digestive upset or acid reflux.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
4 Sep. 2025
-
They're instructed to wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other oral medicines.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downing. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share