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
Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
The perfect vague yet totally true aphorism to throw at any put-down.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025
Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Coogler put down the dishrag and began framing an idea for a story rooted in the centrality of music to the Black experience.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Ageism shows up, for example, in some commercials, with the cliched generational put-downs.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
The perfect vague yet totally true aphorism to throw at any put-down.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
Her family put down roots over the decades, only to have all three of their homes destroyed by fires.
—Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Coogler put down the dishrag and began framing an idea for a story rooted in the centrality of music to the Black experience.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
People hurled insults as the police started taking down the barricades.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2025
-
Sarandos, playing a cheeky version of himself, delivers a sharp line about contractual award show shout-outs before signing off with an insult.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 May 2025
Noun
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Since returning to office, Trump has directed his administration to act aggressively against foreign nationals who the Administration has alleged are undermining American interests, particularly in the context of criticism of Israel and campus protests against the war in Gaza.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
9 May 2025
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Trump hasn't shied away from bashing Biden in speeches, online posts and executive orders, and the White House hasn't backed down in the face of the former president's criticisms.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Verb
-
When Trump left the presidency in 2021, the court dismissed the case as moot, leaving the constitutional provision largely untested and unresolved.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2025
-
The announcement comes after a jury candidate was dismissed on the first day of Combs' trial due to her connection to the publishing company.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
The longest humpback whale migration ever recorded was 8,106 miles, from South America to Africa, though more typical distances are around 5,000 miles.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 May 2025
-
In 2018 Amazon’s Alexa recorded a married couple’s conversation about hardwood floors and sent it to one of the husband’s employees.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The Texas Department of Public Safety runs the database but local law enforcement agencies are responsible for entering the names.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
-
The Orlando woman was walking north and entered the westbound lanes of Colonial.—
Elainie Barraza,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2025
Verb
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Several protesters were injured, some of them critically, by Flash-balls fired by riot police, or by cops sent out to quell demonstrations that were growing increasingly unwieldy.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2025
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It’s also infused with aloe and calendula extracts, which are soothing to skin and help quell redness.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
The Education Department reported a 5.5% backlog despite a 62% spike in requests, which the agency attributed to tech upgrades and department-wide training.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2025
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This growth can be attributed to both an increase in ad impressions and a higher average price per advertisement.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
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The successful hatchings come about a year after Scout ate two of his chicks as a first-time dad, leaving the pair with no surviving eaglets from their first nesting season, McClatchy News previously reported.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
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The calls came while eating lunch, while lying in bed at night.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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