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
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
He’s got a special playbook for female opponents that includes put-downs about their appearance, their emotional stability and their intelligence.
—Laurie Kellman, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Pannakara’s peace talks, given at stops along the way, have urged listeners to put down their phones and find peace within themselves.
—Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
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
He’s got a special playbook for female opponents that includes put-downs about their appearance, their emotional stability and their intelligence.
—Laurie Kellman, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
Pannakara's peace talks, given at stops along the way, have urged listeners to put down their phones and find peace within themselves.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Pannakara’s peace talks, given at stops along the way, have urged listeners to put down their phones and find peace within themselves.
—Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
Where Vance seems only to have desired to berate and insult, there was something more urgently coaxing in Rubio’s tone.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Employees at an El Dorado Hills fast food restaurant went on a one-day strike, after a manager reportedly flung insults and acted unprofessionally to Latino workers.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The move comes after mounting criticism from international investors following years of power outages and disruptions for businesses in Africa’s biggest economy.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Amid relentless criticism, Bad Bunny gave us a moment in which enjoyment and pride functioned as resistance.—
Lara N. Dotson-Renta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After days of deliberations, the House justice committee voted to dismiss the impeachment complaints filed by left-wing activists and a lawyer against Marcos.—
JIM GOMEZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Saab denied the allegations and appealed to have the charges dismissed on grounds of diplomatic immunity.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Another video recorded by straphangers aboard a train passing through the station shows the killer shove Dawodu, who collapses to the platform covered in blood.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Winner of three consecutive Eastern Conference rookie of the month awards to begin his career, Knueppel is the fastest player to record 100 career 3-pointers made, accomplishing the feat in 29 games.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If an agency is allowed to give itself the right to enter people's homes, the consequences could go far beyond immigration enforcement.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
After graduating from Syracuse University, Silverblatt entered a training program at S&P in downtown Manhattan in the late 1970s.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His statement did little to quell the outrage.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Soon after the national security law imposed by Beijing to quell the 2019 massive pro-democracy demonstrations took effect in June 2020, police arrested Lai.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At the time, analysts had attributed Baumgertner's arrest to retaliation for Uralkali's decision to pull out of a joint venture.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In a separate notice, school officials attributed the lockdown to Cincinnati police officers working at an active crime scene.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hunters and birdwatchers are advised to wear gloves when handling birds or feeders, to wash hands thoroughly after any contact, and to not eating birds that appear sick or birds that are found dead.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Without Callie around, the chasm between Minnie — who holds an after-school job and eats microwaved junk at home — and Callie’s other friends feels wider than ever.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
