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
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
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
-
But mostly, and kind of disturbingly, people enjoyed ridiculing it.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While skepticism toward artificial intelligence is understandable, dismissing AI as inherently harmful overlooks both history and reality.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
If doubts appear from seemingly nowhere, make a point of uncovering their roots before dismissing them.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The plethora of fourth-quarter collapses offers refuting evidence.—
Sam McDowell
January 27,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Being true to those principles matters more than refuting a talking point from any pundit or any bulletin-board material spouted by any rival.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … SKETCHY MOVE – 'Saturday Night Live' cuts skit offering tribute to Minnesotans, mocking ICE agent.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The unarmed, nonviolent citizens who have been following ICE agents, blowing whistles to alert people to their presence, even heckling and mocking them, are not just trying to impede their work.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump has warned against killing protesters and had repeatedly threatened to intervene if Tehran does not change course.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Many did not experience concentration camps but were forced to flee villages and towns as Nazi forces advanced, destroying homes and killing millions.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 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
-
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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Trump has criticized Powell repeatedly during his first year back in the White House ‒ threatening to try to fire him from the board of the independent agency ‒ for refusing to lower interest rates.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
30 Jan. 2026
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The president and first lady — who met in college and shared two children, Mary and Russell — were uneasy about the light switches, refusing to touch them and leaving the task up to White House staff.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shooting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shooting%20down. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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