1
as in ridiculing
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 dismissing
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 refuting
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 shooting down
The sudden and surprising airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, stemmed from the Pentagon’s plans to test a laser for use in shooting down drones used by Mexican drug cartels, according to three people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to share sensitive details.
—
Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
What all this boils down to is that even a laser weapon that's already shooting down hostile drones is streets away from one that's officially part of the armory.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
Tisdale French's rep is shooting down the theories percolating online.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, Goodwin began to feel pain shooting down from her shoulder, most likely a consequence of repetitive computer work.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
It has also been accused of a series of serious NATO airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets, fueling discussions among allies about shooting down the aircraft.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Despite neither triggering a NATO response nor shooting down the drones, Denmark is still mulling a possible response to the sightings.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Despite shooting down any suggestions of infidelity, she’s continued to field the questions and comments, responding politely to the seemingly never-ending queries.
—Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Taylor quipped, referencing Kylie shooting down a drunken idea of Jason's.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
What all this boils down to is that even a laser weapon that's already shooting down hostile drones is streets away from one that's officially part of the armory.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
Tisdale French's rep is shooting down the theories percolating online.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, Goodwin began to feel pain shooting down from her shoulder, most likely a consequence of repetitive computer work.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
It has also been accused of a series of serious NATO airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets, fueling discussions among allies about shooting down the aircraft.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Despite neither triggering a NATO response nor shooting down the drones, Denmark is still mulling a possible response to the sightings.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Despite shooting down any suggestions of infidelity, she’s continued to field the questions and comments, responding politely to the seemingly never-ending queries.
—Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Taylor quipped, referencing Kylie shooting down a drunken idea of Jason's.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shooting down
Verb
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The temperature is rising in the Warner Bros Discovery chase, with key figures at Netflix and Paramount ridiculing the other companies’ merger proposals.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
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But mostly, and kind of disturbingly, people enjoyed ridiculing it.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But dismissing or minimizing disappointment can unintentionally teach children to ignore or suppress emotions.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Parents,
17 Feb. 2026
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Ignoring or outright dismissing Black parents who seek options is not progress — or progressive.—
Darius Jones,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the company is refuting the claims.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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On Tuesday, Cordero-Stutz’s office issued a statement refuting a recent school system memo that had said there was a deal for the Sheriff’s Office to help process outstanding bus-camera violations that had been issued before last year’s suspension but are currently stalled in court.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot, released multiple ads earlier this month mocking OpenAI for its decision to display ads on ChatGPT.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
12 Feb. 2026
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The only notable Paxton campaign TV spot has been centered around an AI video mocking Cornyn.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Also on Tuesday, Indivisible CT is conducting an anti-ICE rally on the state Capitol lawn, taking political aim at a federal agency that has fallen sharply out of public favor after killing two American citizens in Minnesota and roughing up scores of others.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
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The ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden, who has been accused of killing his wife late last year, pleaded not guilty in the case during a virtual court appearance on Tuesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2001, Ryan made the surprise move of vetoing legislation that aimed to guarantee motorcyclists the right to use hotels, restaurants and stores.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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Germany, which was initially very reluctant to get involved in the conflict, refusing to provide Kyiv with weapons, eventually did so and is now one of the country’s biggest backers.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Moderna announced the change Wednesday, about a week after revealing that the FDA's vaccine chief was refusing to review the new vaccine, made with Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shooting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shooting%20down. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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