1
as in ridiculed
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 dismissed
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 refuted
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 shot down
Close to 1,000 drones were launched at Ukraine over the course of Tuesday, of which some 94% were shot down.
—
Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region north of Moscow, said 56 drones were shot down there, and a fire broke out in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga as the result of Ukraine’s attack.
—Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Some estimates put the number of Iraqi airplanes shot down by Iranian F-14s at more than 160.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
During that Idaho meeting, Cohen shot down any notion of NRC independence in the new era.
—Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
One of the missiles fell well short of its target and the other was shot down, said Defence Secretary John Healey.
—Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump on Sunday shot down funding every agency inside the department -- except Immigration and Custom Enforcement, according to the sources.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Another 16 service members were killed when their helicopter was shot down while attempting to provide support and rescue to the team.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Last week, the Senate shot down the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s massive budget for 2027.
—Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region north of Moscow, said 56 drones were shot down there, and a fire broke out in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga as the result of Ukraine’s attack.
—Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Some estimates put the number of Iraqi airplanes shot down by Iranian F-14s at more than 160.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
During that Idaho meeting, Cohen shot down any notion of NRC independence in the new era.
—Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
One of the missiles fell well short of its target and the other was shot down, said Defence Secretary John Healey.
—Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump on Sunday shot down funding every agency inside the department -- except Immigration and Custom Enforcement, according to the sources.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Another 16 service members were killed when their helicopter was shot down while attempting to provide support and rescue to the team.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Last week, the Senate shot down the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s massive budget for 2027.
—Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shot down
Verb
-
It was ridiculed as the Broncos sat pretty in free agency and signed back most of the pieces of their 2025 corps to short-term deals.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The move was ridiculed by rival Anthropic, which made OpenAI’s ad push the focus of its first Super Bowl campaign.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iranian state media, however, reportedly refuted the president's claims hours later.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío on Friday refuted comments about a change in the political system or the potential departure of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel as part of the ongoing talks between the two sides.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No artist ever mocked the insanity of the Hollywood cartoon stystem with such devastating incisiveness, and yet loved its creative output so much.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2026
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In a lengthy Instagram post on Friday (March 27), White mocked the announcement.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Tariq’s father, Azim Khamisa, a businessman, forgave the young man who killed his son and has spent his life working to prevent youth violence.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wiemer's first hit was originally called out by first base umpire Marvin Hudson, but was overturned after a challenge by the Nationals.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That pitch was the second in the at-bat that the Orioles correctly overturned, with catcher Adley Rutschman also correctly identifying a pitch called incorrectly by home plate umpire Chris Segal.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the process, the Bulls refused to shut down players such as center Jalen Smith, who finally was shut down for the season this week after reaggravating a calf injury once again in Wednesday’s game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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The woman refused any more information and was placed in the women’s ward.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed a measure approved by the City Council that would have required landlords to give tenants 60 days notice ahead of an eviction instead of the current 30 days.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Minneapolis City Council approved a 60-day eviction notice requirement this month, but it was quickly vetoed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who called for the city to increase rent assistance, instead.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shot%20down. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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