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
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
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
-
At times, Phillips’ dialogue seems to be ridiculing his screenplay’s own improbability and sloppy logic gaps, as well as the genre itself.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
23 Dec. 2024
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The post was met with accounts celebrating the withdrawal and ridiculing past decisions.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes,
11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The latest clash reflects a broader pattern, with Netanyahu’s government having chronic tensions with the military echelon since the cabinet was sworn in in January 2023, often dismissing military advice.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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In fact, toxic positivity is very different from overall, everyday positivity and can lead to minimizing or entirely dismissing real experiences and emotions that are felt and experienced.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead, the Department of Justice (DOJ) last month released an unsigned memo refuting all of the most damning theories surrounding the case.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Hall ended up refuting his own hypothesis.—
Dhruv Khullar,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The key to his performance is empathy — Early resists mocking Maddie or her struggles at every turn.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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This is all on top of the late-night TV and social media posts mocking him, countless Democrats campaigning against him, and endless news and opinion articles calling him everything from a felon to a rapist to a threat to democracy to Hitler.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The couple is accused of killing their 7-month-old son despite the fact that authorities have yet to find the infant's remains.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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After killing Martin, Lawson poured gasoline on the dead man's body and his surroundings before leaving the scene, according to police.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Anisimova dialed in, desperately refusing to give Osaka any openings.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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His staff acknowledged congratulatory comments on social media and posted photos of an encounter with someone whose car window was shattered after refusing to open it.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shooting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shooting%20down. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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