1
as in insults
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defamations
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-downs
Noun
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Perhaps Florence might have learned to cast aside the envy that seemed to be suppressed only by her outbursts and insults, her ever-increasing appetite, a collection of maladies that seemed to anger and horrify her father even further.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025 -
When big gatherings of police and federal agents suddenly show up in residential areas, crowds often meet them with cell phone cameras, righteous indignation and insults.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The forward will miss the first half of the Sky’s game on Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces after her criticisms were published earlier this week by the Chicago Tribune.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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Mourinho’s arrival at United was a response to some of the criticisms directed at his predecessor, Louis van Gaal.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While other festival heads like Venice’s Alberto Barbera have shared personal condemnations of the violence in Gaza on social media, no festival has weighed into the situation directly as a whole institution.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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Sorrentino has told stories about Italian leaders before — scathing ones, like Il Divo and Loro, loosely historical condemnations of prime ministers Giulio Andreotti and Silvio Berlusconi.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
6 Sep. 2025
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Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Put-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-downs. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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