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
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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
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Recent Examples of put-down
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
One day, a historian will win a contract to assemble the collected quotations of the forty-fifth and forty-seventh President—all the press-room rants, the Oval Office put-downs, the 3 A.M. Truth Social fever dreams.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2025
ABC News, 16 June 2026
The golden retriever, named Gilbert, had to be put down because of his injuries.
—Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Crockett, a representative from a deep-blue district that includes much of Dallas, has attained fame with snappy put-downs of Republicans, many of which have gone viral on social media.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
One day, a historian will win a contract to assemble the collected quotations of the forty-fifth and forty-seventh President—all the press-room rants, the Oval Office put-downs, the 3 A.M. Truth Social fever dreams.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was put down on 6 and made 27 to start their charge in the powerplay, and Silva was dropped on 1 and made 54 not out.
—ABC News, 16 June 2026
The golden retriever, named Gilbert, had to be put down because of his injuries.
—Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
Former Chair Jerome Powell for months was hit with insults when the Fed either didn't lower rates, or didn't lower them enough.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
Turns out, this is a term of endearment, not an insult.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Thousands of providers who were cut off from Medicaid billing can once again receive funds, at least for now, as the Minnesota Department of Human Services navigates a revalidation process drawing bipartisan criticism.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
Swift also reflected on making peace with criticism, fair and unfair, from both bots and real people.—
P. Claire Dodson,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The charges of using a computer to commit a crime and interfering with a telecommunications device were dismissed, according to prosecutors.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
In January 2021, Erickson was charged with one misdemeanor count of reckless driving, but the charge was later dismissed, his lawyer Mark Werksman told The New York Times.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Video Mendias recorded showed officers pouring out of the back of an armored police vehicle and police deploying robots into the area.—
Robert McGreevy , Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
The American superstar dropped Live From Asbury Park 2024 on vinyl – a set that was recorded during the musician's performance at the Sea.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The two sisters entered the restaurant, ran behind the counter and attacked the 23-year-old employee after they were given a wrong order, prosecutors said, according to the outlet.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
The Rays entered the series after a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox but have lost consecutive games to the Angels, who were tied for the worst record in the American League at the start of play Saturday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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As part of a previous effort to quell the controversy, Osasuna released documents confirming its contract with Howden, and that LaLiga had been informed of the arrangement.—
Camila Grigera Naon,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
-
Police had to use a water cannon to quell the demonstrators.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
At the time, David Hackett, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Expeditors, attributed the improvements to artificial intelligence deployments.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
-
Thomas attributed the shortfall to the county’s reliance on a shrinking pool of one-time funding — consisting of unspent funding from the prior fiscal year — creating a long-term structural deficit.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 11,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The pitch is that women can eat, train, work and sleep better by aligning their habits with the four phases of the menstrual cycle.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
-
Taking a calcium supplement or eating a calcium-heavy meal alongside iron can cut iron absorption by up to 50%, which is why nutritionists suggest separating the two by at least two hours.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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