1
as in to ridicule
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
nowadays the aging activist is routinely shot down in most quarters of the media and dismissed as an irrelevant crank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote
every one of my fund-raising ideas was shot down by the other club members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the results of several studies shoot down the hypothesis that coffee causes heart attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shoot down
The Kremlin forcefully shot down the rumors on Friday, saying there was no basis to them.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
In an appearance on Fox News on Thursday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shot down concerns that the crash was related to the government shutdown.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Richmond Township voters shot down a ballot question about a new millage, not to exceed 1 mill, for five years to fund the maintenance of ditches, drains and roads.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 5 Nov. 2025
However, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic shot down that explanation in his reporting on Bieber's return to Toronto on Tuesday night.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
In an appearance on Fox News on Thursday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shot down concerns that the crash was related to the government shutdown.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Richmond Township voters shot down a ballot question about a new millage, not to exceed 1 mill, for five years to fund the maintenance of ditches, drains and roads.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 5 Nov. 2025
However, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic shot down that explanation in his reporting on Bieber's return to Toronto on Tuesday night.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
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Mamdani has many bold ideas to address this—some of which have been ridiculed—and not all will be achieved.—
Sally Susman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In September, Hecox filed a notice to dismiss the lawsuit.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
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Why was Alabama’s 31-17 loss to a 4-8 FSU team so easily dismissed by the committee?—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Graphic videos are being cited to refute the administration's assertion that the shooting was justified.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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Trump administration claims that Good attacked or tried to run over ICE agents before the shooting have been refuted by the videos captured during the incident.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many users on social media mocked the team for the design.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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When hackers reveal his identity and expose it to the public, he is ridiculed, mocked, and threatened.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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Four people were killed over a four-day period in crashes on Arkansas highways, according to preliminary Arkansas State Police reports.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The governor has walked a tightrope on the AI question, vetoing a bill last year that would have put strict limits on how AI chatbots can interact with children, and approving a much narrower proposal.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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This will almost certainly raise costs for nonsmokers—as outgoing governor Glenn Youngkin noted in vetoing the bill last year.—
Judge Glock,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Some exemptions for law enforcement agencies exist, but Cal-OSHA claims the sheriff’s office refused to prove its exemption, according to court documents.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In April, Moody’s revised the rating outlook for Thailand to negative from stable, flagging rising political uncertainty and sustained growth weakness.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
1 Sep. 2025
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On the way to scoring a 25-19, 25-9, 25-4 victory, UW was not blocked once, held the Bobcats to negative hitting in each set and in the final set tied a program record for fewest points allowed in a set.—
Mark Stewart,
Journal Sentinel,
2 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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