Definition of put-downnext

put down

2 of 2

verb

1
2
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
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

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
Noun
The series combines potty-mouthed put-downs with more sentimental story lines. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026 Sadly, that period ended with the closure of newspapers, the violent put-down of protests and the arrest of more than a thousand along with many deaths. — Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 May 2026
Verb
None of this means mental illness can be solved by telling a struggling young person to put down their phone, join a club or get more sleep. — Roxanne Prichard, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 But its rise is sometimes put down to an online meme—an aversion to holes had a moment on the mid-2000s Internet. — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
  • Despite his notoriously fiery TV persona, the Gordon Ramsay meal kit doesn’t include any pre-packaged insults or threats to shut your kitchen down — just easy-to-follow recipe cards.
    — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Gillies was surprised to learn in researching the docu that the programmers came up with a rating system for calculating the relative weight of insults.
    — Will Tizard, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • This dynamic drew criticism from readers — and, later, a response from Berry.
    — August Lamm, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Speaking in Spanish, Leo emphasized the importance of protecting family life and delivered a pointed criticism of both laws.
    — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • State officials dismissed the allegation as speculation but explicitly warned the Authority not to pay higher rates for work assigned to those $35-an-hour positions.
    — Julie Watts, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Insurance agent Ken McFeeters filed a lawsuit challenging the senator’s eligibility based on residency requirements, but the lawsuit was dismissed.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • As the agents stood outside the emergency room entrance, a large crowd of protesters began to converge at the hospital, some banging pots and recording the interaction on their phones.
    — Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • According to the study, GPS instruments installed around the glacier recorded its position every 15 seconds.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Sims attempted to enter the residence, but Bell slammed the door shut, the affidavit says.
    — Steven Mross, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The caller reported a man had forcibly entered a nearby home and was physically assaulting its resident, according to a news release from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Sebastien Salom-Gomis | Afp | Getty Images Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has said 70,000 police and gendarmes — a military police force — will be deployed in efforts to quell any outbreaks of violence.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • And despite claiming to be the one and only democracy in the Middle East, the Israeli government has weaponized anti-Semitism to defend its crimes against the Palestinian people and quell any resistance or critique against it.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Differences appeared only in the third or fourth significant figures, which the researchers attributed to numerical rounding.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Brands, including Stiiizy and West Coast Cure, that were contaminated two years ago came up largely clean in the latest testing — a change that industry leaders attribute to pressure from consumers outraged by The Times’ 2024 reporting.
    — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Caraballeda’s tropical, beachfront climate could have been a factor, as well as possible impurities in the concrete used, which can eat away at the metal bars.
    — Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The Anti-Defamation League, meanwhile, has urged residents to eat at the restaurants targeted by the demonstration, describing the campaign as an effort to intimidate Philadelphia’s Jewish community.
    — Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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