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
Kids can rope swing over obstacles, conquer glass and log bridges, shoot down a 70-foot-long slide and discover panoramic views of Denver 90 feet in the air.
—
Laura Daily, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
An American spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
—USA Today, 1 May 2026
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
In her final day in the witness box, Wilson attempted to shoot down the allegation under cross-examination from Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Laura Daily, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
An American spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
—USA Today, 1 May 2026
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
In her final day in the witness box, Wilson attempted to shoot down the allegation under cross-examination from Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
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And while that move was ridiculed across baseball at the time, another decision Turner made — far more consequential but no less revolutionary — put his franchise on a trajectory to become one of the most popular in the sport.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
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On Thursday, though, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf – who is leading negotiations for Tehran and has emerged as the key voice of the Iranian government – ridiculed the notion of blockading Iran, pointing to the country’s extensive land and maritime borders.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Then in September, Newsom's Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp sent an email to JUSD administrators on what appeared to include a copy of the state's motion to dismiss that lawsuit, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Curiel also declined to dismiss causes of action against three of the deputy’s supervisors, who are accused of knowing the female deputy failed to return to the scene and had dissuaded Quinones from providing assistance.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.—
Mark Conway,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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The court found that Pitt, 62, failed to provide enough evidence to refute Jolie's privilege claim, but the request was dismissed without prejudice, meaning his team can challenge the motion.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Newspaper owners mocked the idea.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
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Then again, the anti-Reese sentiment was equally as strong; a separate post that mocked her shooting stats from that April 29 exhibition game generated just as much engagement.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
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One of the high-profile cases to emerge from last year’s immigration crackdown was the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas González, a father of two shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a traffic stop last September in Franklin Park.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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The 2022 crash killed sheriff’s recruit Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza and seriously injured 10 others.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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His administration is expected to transform political dynamics within the European Union, where the former prime minister had upended the bloc by frequently vetoing key decisions, most recently concerning support for neighboring Ukraine.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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His government is expected to transform political dynamics within the European Union, where the former prime minister had upended the bloc by frequently vetoing key decisions, most recently concerning support for neighboring Ukraine.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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But when the symptoms refused to fade, an MRI revealed something far worse.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Others rely on patience, research, and the fact that the ground itself refuses to be reduced to one easy headline.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 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 12 May. 2026.
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