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 two armies exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people, and Pakistan shot down several Indian planes before a truce was declared.
—
David Rising, Arkansas Online, 31 May 2025
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down Ukrainian 33 drones heading toward the capital.
—Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
The air force said 45 cruise missiles and 266 drones were shot down or otherwise neutralized during the attack.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 25 May 2025
Recall the long delay in even coping with the wandering Chinese spy balloon that made its way across America in 2023, gathering intelligence for a week under Joe Biden before it was finally shot down.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
David Rising, Arkansas Online, 31 May 2025
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down Ukrainian 33 drones heading toward the capital.
—Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
The air force said 45 cruise missiles and 266 drones were shot down or otherwise neutralized during the attack.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 25 May 2025
Recall the long delay in even coping with the wandering Chinese spy balloon that made its way across America in 2023, gathering intelligence for a week under Joe Biden before it was finally shot down.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
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Managers ran through rows of their peers and announced their area’s sales performance, ridiculing poor performers.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2025
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Clinton was ridiculed for his obsession with infrastructure until the numbers proved him out: the canal transformed New York City into an economic powerhouse, and its population surged to more than two hundred thousand.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Congressional Republicans, many of whom had also grown annoyed with Musk over the last few months, have largely dismissed the billionaire’s fiery opposition to the bill.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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For example, recent reports about the potential for automotive production to be curtailed due to rare earth mineral shortages should not be dismissed.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Security camera footage, however, refuted his story, according to the court documents.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
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Yet a source close to the contract negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, refuted that claim.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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A week later, Rogan mocked Hawass and weighed in again on skeptical theories over who built the pyramids.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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Gervais also mocked himself during his acceptance speech.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
31 May 2025
Verb
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The California Department of Justice will investigate a fatal shooting by Los Angeles Police Department officers under a law that empowers the state attorney general to probe police shootings of unarmed people — despite the LAPD saying the man killed Tuesday was holding a gun.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
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In a separate development, Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 26 people late Tuesday and into Wednesday, according to hospital officials.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The bills previously had been vetoed by Yoon during his term and by South Korea's caretaker government after his Dec. 14 impeachment.—
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2025
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Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoed ballot language for the sales-tax extension before the county legislature overrode that veto to place the measure in front of voters.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Indian officials had previously refused to confirm even a single aircraft loss.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
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Wyatt, the senior ace on his way to Michigan, and Walker, the gritty junior second baseman who refused to give up on his dream of starting, paused when trying to wrap their heads around the scene unfolding around them.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Confusion reigned, and so on Friday, the stock went from positive to negative to deeply negative in a matter of hours.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Feb. 2025
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Travelers also need to negative COVID-19 test within one day of flying to return to the United States.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
7 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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