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
But Romania has remained cautious in downing errant drones, which can pose risks to populated areas.
—
Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
In December 2024, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency released footage appearing to show a Magura V5 naval drone armed with R-73 air-to-air missiles downing a Russian Mi-8 helicopter over the Black Sea near occupied Crimea.
—David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The attack and the apparent interception failures underscored Ukraine's chronic shortage of air defense missiles capable of downing ballistics.
—CBS News, 24 May 2026
The allegations stem from 1996, when Castro allegedly ordered the downing two civilian planes providing humanitarian aid, killing four.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The Tutsi minority was blamed for downing the plane.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
As the sun sets, the fruit bats swoop among the trees as couples and young families lounge on large poolside cabanas, downing languid cocktails and listening to live guitar strums before heading for a casual dinner.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
While the 9-9-9 Challenge has fans downing nine hot dogs and nine beers in nine innings, the Flyers kicked off their home postseason slate with the Philly Hat Trick Challenge.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
In December 2024, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency released footage appearing to show a Magura V5 naval drone armed with R-73 air-to-air missiles downing a Russian Mi-8 helicopter over the Black Sea near occupied Crimea.
—David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The attack and the apparent interception failures underscored Ukraine's chronic shortage of air defense missiles capable of downing ballistics.
—CBS News, 24 May 2026
The allegations stem from 1996, when Castro allegedly ordered the downing two civilian planes providing humanitarian aid, killing four.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The Tutsi minority was blamed for downing the plane.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
As the sun sets, the fruit bats swoop among the trees as couples and young families lounge on large poolside cabanas, downing languid cocktails and listening to live guitar strums before heading for a casual dinner.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
While the 9-9-9 Challenge has fans downing nine hot dogs and nine beers in nine innings, the Flyers kicked off their home postseason slate with the Philly Hat Trick Challenge.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
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
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His perfect parade was broken up by an error in the fourth inning when miscommunication between Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker led to Trea Turner’s fly ball glancing off Tucker’s glove and dropping to the warning track uncaught.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
As vehicles drive by on a nearby road, he can be seen dropping to the ground.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Verb
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After sipping on drink after drink, our testers selected seven sips that bubbled up above the rest.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
-
The Princess of Wales has been seen sipping bubbly on the sidelines of Prince William’s polo matches.—
Mathilde Engelmann,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The Browns entered the offseason looking for a replacement after dismissing Kevin Stefanski, and Schwartz quickly emerged as a leading candidate after overseeing one of the NFL's top defenses.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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On May 20, an $850,000 settlement was reached in the case in exchange for dismissing the complaint, according to a news release by Terr’s organization FIRE, which represented Bushart.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The play started with Muncy hitting a ground ball up the first-base line.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
-
London’s Christian Olivares, a USC pledge, extended the lead in the third inning, hitting a two-run home run to left field.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2026
Verb
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One very rare risk is Naegleria fowleri, which can infect people when contaminated warm freshwater enters the nose—not from swallowing water.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
1 June 2026
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Avoid swallowing water or getting it up your nose while swimming to lower your risk of giardia and other waterborne parasites.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
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Basically, tick tubes are cardboard tubes that have been filled with cotton that’s been treated with permethrin, a tick-killing chemical.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Verb
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In Sabalenka’s quarter, the most dangerous player may be Iva Jović, the 18-year-old Californian who came within a point of toppling Gauff at the Italian Open.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Two rounds of swift but strong thunderstorms blew through Chicago Monday morning and afternoon, toppling a small plane at Midway Airport and leaving some power outages and damage in their wake.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Danny is, once again, drinking and trying to hide it.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 June 2026
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In the 1990s, the soft drink company ran a promotion and a Super Bowl commercial that featured the Harrier as a prize for accumulating 7 million points by drinking Pepsi products.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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