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
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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
David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2025
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
Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 23 May 2026
City have always managed to move on, usually sooner but sometimes later, no matter the importance of the player departing, but much of that can be put down to Guardiola’s steadying hand.
—Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
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
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
Verb
Beckman put down his Rolex Sky-Dweller.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 23 May 2026
City have always managed to move on, usually sooner but sometimes later, no matter the importance of the player departing, but much of that can be put down to Guardiola’s steadying hand.
—Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
Across the state, officers directed obscenities, insults and threats at students just before or after using physical force, records and video footage show.—
Clare Amari,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
After Laura snaps one day and threatens to quit after Souria goes too far with her insults, the power shifts abruptly.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Building, lighting plans draw criticism from community Parker’s campus currently sprawls six acres and has a 6-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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The closure drew criticism from the Primm family.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
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In December, Rozier requested that the case be dismissed, arguing that the government had overstepped by charging him with fraud.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
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During sentencing, Baskin dismissed the argument that the devices were used for purposes such as exploding targets and fireworks.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
Verb
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After Addi Brown was hit by a pitch, Bree Martinelli struck a two-run double to center field, and Leah Rutherford closed out the scoring with an RBI on a squeeze bunt before Eustis was able to record an out.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
-
Cole struck out two and limited the MLB-best Rays to just two hits, needing only 72 pitches to record 18 outs.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Just make sure to enter the code SUMMER at checkout.—
Kaelin Dodge,
InStyle,
25 May 2026
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Another complication the team must think about is the fact that sunlight can't enter the cave, so solar panels — the most common source of powering a spacecraft — won't work.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Additionally, officials have introduced a series of new measures in an effort to quell the potential for chaos in the upcoming season.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
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In San Clemente, firefighters have typically had to get water from neighboring towns or from a golf course lake to quell fires.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Verb
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This may be attributed to school districts approaching reading education in a different way.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
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An earlier version of this story with quotes attributed to co-owner Charles Amine came from a company vendor who did not have authority to speak for the company, according to the owner.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Verb
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That means tolerating a certain level of damage from leaf-eating insects.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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The overall objective is to educate guests on how to have a sustainable and enjoyable eating plan that continues post-stay—there are optional cooking classes to help establish the ground rules.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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