1
as in slaughtering
to kill on a large scale
machine guns mowed down the advancing troops without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in downing
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the crowd rushing in for the sale mowed down the poor clerks standing at the front entrance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mowing (down)
Verb
-
Livestock numbers are strictly controlled on Tristan, and the community manages the herd by occasionally slaughtering animals for meat and leather.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026 -
One thinks of the hundred brothers that Donald Antrim imagined, gathering in the ancestral home to honor their father’s memory and ritually slaughtering one of their own.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The cost of action The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last year, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 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
Verb
-
In that incident, Burke approached an officer, pulled a stick from a garbage can and held it at his side for about three seconds before dropping it, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
After dropping during the Covid pandemic, the share of people working more than one job has increased over the past few years, government data shows.—
Stephanie Dhue,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The gusts progressively grew stronger, knocking over planters and forcing food vendors to close up shop early, until the festival itself was paused and performers were ushered offstage.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2026
-
People ducked under tables and chairs, knocking over table settings.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
French guard Marine Johannes was equally unstoppable, knocking down five 3-pointers to finish with 17 points on top of five rebounds, three assists and three steals.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
The aftermath of the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision knocking down a key protection in the Voting Rights Act is reverberating across the nation.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
For any questions, ranging from recommendations for hitting the town to extra amenities needed, the lobby desk was always readily available and seemed genuinely happy to help.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
-
Valdez has received a six-game suspension and a fine for an undisclosed amount after hitting Story in the back with a 94-mph fastball with the first pitch of the at-bat, MLB announced Wednesday.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Mowing (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mowing%20%28down%29. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
