1
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
new hires always have to deal with put-downs and practical jokes from the older employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criticism
the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant
your never-ending put-down of my musical talents is really starting to annoy me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
he has the annoying habit of putting down others under the guise of offering constructive criticism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to record
to make a written note of
we had the whole agreement put down on paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to enter
to put (someone or something) on a list
put her down as one of the chaperones for the field trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
a tyrant who ruthlessly put down uprisings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to attribute
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
a fender bender that probably can be put down to the young driver's inexperience
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to eat
to take in as food
the husky youngster seemed to put down her own weight in food at one sitting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 put-down
Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 9 Dec. 2025
Because all those snarky memes and cheeky presidential put-downs won’t seem so funny if JD Vance is inaugurated in January 2029.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Watson, 56, came to UNT in 2005, and put down roots.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
And the jubilation likely expressed in Moscow over Washington’s put-downs of Europe is reminiscent of the glee over Trump and Vance’s public scolding of Zelensky in the Oval Office later that month.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 9 Dec. 2025
Because all those snarky memes and cheeky presidential put-downs won’t seem so funny if JD Vance is inaugurated in January 2029.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
Iran put down the demonstrations with intense violence that killed thousands of people and saw tens of thousands others detained, and activists have warned that authorities might carry out mass executions of those detained.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Watson, 56, came to UNT in 2005, and put down roots.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
Cyrus said, with the two characters throwing insults at each other constantly.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Droves of supporters commended a thoughtful gesture that, elsewhere on the internet, went over like an insult.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her organization has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Israel groups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Bart Jansen Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed criticism of the United States and Israel from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Johnson dismissed the criticism.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Red flags worth walking away from include dismissing symptoms without investigation, attributing everything to stress or anxiety, discouraging second opinions and making patients feel rushed.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cavaliers guard James Harden recorded 17 points and 14 assists.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Ragans struggled to land his secondary pitches, recording just 52 of his 90 pitches for strikes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With Luna entering your dreamy 12th house, your mind could use the rest.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Shadow of the Titan China’s new submersible enters a specialized market currently led by Western brands like Triton and U-Boat Worx, which have operated at these depths for years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Redick shouted out Bronny James for his efforts against Indiana after the game, lauding his defensive intensity – often being switched onto Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and holding his own – along with a late mid-range jumper that quelled concerns of a once-improbable Indiana comeback.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That change didn’t quell the concerns of some lawmakers in both parties, who questioned the wisdom of extending the hours for liquor sales on the grounds that doing so could increase the risk of drunk driving incidents.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Other analysts, cited in publications like Al Jazeera, have also attributed the apparent accuracy of Iranian strikes to its use of China's BeiDou.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The multi-stakeholder group attributed the low figure to issues around price and availability, as well as lingering questions about the sustainability of current versions, which can carry impacts on land, communities, biodiversity and soil health that haven’t been fully measured.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For many years, the Rushes had an annual tradition of eating at Wintzell's Oyster House before riding in the local Mardi Gras parade.—
SYDNEY PAGE THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Prosecutors said a potential motive for Gary's murder was hate – illustrated by how Austin left his father's corpse in these woods to be eaten.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
