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 official described the strikes as defensive, shooting down four Iranian drones and hitting a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth.
—
Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 27 May 2026
This was shot down by Council members, however, and Burns moved to support altering the amendment back to a simple majority vote.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
China held its first joint air force training exercise in Egypt in April-May 2025, which notably included Chinese J-10Cs, the same aircraft in Pakistani service that shot down an Indian Rafale with a PL-15 long-range missile that same May.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The state’s Republican lawmakers and officials have repeatedly shot down attempts to broaden the law’s exceptions.
—Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 27 May 2026
This was shot down by Council members, however, and Burns moved to support altering the amendment back to a simple majority vote.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
China held its first joint air force training exercise in Egypt in April-May 2025, which notably included Chinese J-10Cs, the same aircraft in Pakistani service that shot down an Indian Rafale with a PL-15 long-range missile that same May.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The state’s Republican lawmakers and officials have repeatedly shot down attempts to broaden the law’s exceptions.
—Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
-
Critics were quick to ridicule the new hire.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
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When Pete Buttigieg floated a 15-member Supreme Court during his 2020 presidential campaign, for example, he was properly ridiculed by institutionalists.—
Washington Post Editorial Board,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Verb
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In December, Rozier requested that the case be dismissed, arguing that the government had overstepped by charging him with fraud.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
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During sentencing, Baskin dismissed the argument that the devices were used for purposes such as exploding targets and fireworks.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Bohm’s parents have refuted those claims and the two sides are still attempting to determine where the court battle will proceed.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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This argument, too, has been there since the outset, when there was no data yet to refute it.—
Diana Gitig,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2026
Verb
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In the ongoing fight for women’s equal rights, Pawol had proved a female baseball umpire can be second-guessed, proved wrong and humiliated by technology and mocked by howling fans on social media just like a man can.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
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That staffer was later fired by Collins after posting a social media comment on behalf of the Collins campaign mocking a woman who attempted suicide after accusing Matt Lauer of rape.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
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In recent months security forces have killed a string of top Maoists and the rank-and-file are laying down their weapons.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Last spring, the mayor vetoed the budget adopted by the council, and an override ended up being necessary.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Lastly, on Thursday Polis vetoed House Bill 1286, which would have required that human drivers ride in autonomous commercial vehicles.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The nurses refused to increase her morphine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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The fund sparked widespread condemnation and a standoff between the White House and Congress, with Senate Republicans refusing to pass an immigration enforcement spending bill unless the fund was limited or scrapped.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The move is part of Moody’s broader revision of its outlook for private credit investment vehicles to negative.—
Sharon Klyne,
Bloomberg,
8 Apr. 2026
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Corning stock has been an outlier this year, rallying nearly 60% year to date while the broader market is flat to negative.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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