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pooh-poohing

verb

variants also poohing
present participle of pooh-pooh
as in dismissing
informal to think or say that (something) is not very good or not true They pooh-poohed my suggestion. He pooh-poohed the idea that the house was haunted.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-poohing
  1. dismissing
  2. rejecting
  3. ignoring
Verb
  • A day after dismissing Dana Brown, Astros owner Jim Crane fielded a question specifically about Bagwell’s potential candidacy.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • That doesn't mean Cramer is dismissing the risks from higher oil.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Verb
  • In rejecting his release in 2021, Newsom said Davis had continued to minimize his role in the crimes and shown a lack of empathy for his victims.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The bow-wielding heroine of Brave spends the film rejecting the idea that a princess has to be anything other than herself.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rejecting
Verb
  • The 86-year-old woman accused the UFW Foundation and the César Chávez Foundation of enabling Chávez’s attacks, ignoring complaints, and covering up evidence of the incidents.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Sofia, after 17 years, looks at this as a dead end in their relationship, another example of completely ignoring her needs, and maybe her unspoken desire to move back to their native Spain.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignoring
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pooh-poohed
pooh-poohing
pooh-poohs
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Cite this Entry

“Pooh-poohing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-poohing. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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