1
as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
there's no need to take us down by making fun of our clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knocking down
to take apart
electricians will take down all the lights for the set after the play has finished its run
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in recording
to make a written note of
took down the customer's contact information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of taking down
Following an intense comeback that ended with Texas taking down the Bulldogs 45-38 in overtime, Sarkisian voiced his irritation with the report.
—
Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
In 2024, Brock lost the regular-season contest 38-0 but put together a shocking bounce-back performance in the regional finals, taking down Graham 12-10 in triple overtime.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
Battling driving snow, 100 mph winds and waves as high as 50 feet, the Fitz split in two and sank just short of Whitefish Bay, taking down with it all 29 men on board.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Amazon Web Services, a leader in the cloud infrastructure market, reported a major outage on Monday, taking down numerous big-name websites.
—Tasmin Lockwood,katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
But the Trojans are hovering at 14 percent and would give their case some legitimacy by taking down the Wolverines.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Dual katanas are strong against polearms while odachis specialize in taking down adversaries wielding heavy weapons.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
In 2024, Brock lost the regular-season contest 38-0 but put together a shocking bounce-back performance in the regional finals, taking down Graham 12-10 in triple overtime.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
Battling driving snow, 100 mph winds and waves as high as 50 feet, the Fitz split in two and sank just short of Whitefish Bay, taking down with it all 29 men on board.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Amazon Web Services, a leader in the cloud infrastructure market, reported a major outage on Monday, taking down numerous big-name websites.
—Tasmin Lockwood,katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
But the Trojans are hovering at 14 percent and would give their case some legitimacy by taking down the Wolverines.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Dual katanas are strong against polearms while odachis specialize in taking down adversaries wielding heavy weapons.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking down
Verb
-
This announcement, humiliating the involved member, is harmful.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That's not with decoys, that's not with other means that would try to misdirect our interceptors from knocking down incoming missiles with nuclear warheads on them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Plus, the very nature of recording your live stream of thoughts means a lot of editing later down the line.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And then someone recording the audition.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
To be put in this category is discrediting.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Already, Cuba’s top diplomats have been sharing propaganda content discrediting Machado as a warmonger.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Court’s dismantling of Reconstruction was orchestrated by John Archibald Campbell, a white attorney and former Supreme Court Justice who had voted with the majority in Dred Scott.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Now, rather than dismantling the exhibit, the penthouse is being offered for sale with all of the works included.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Astoria has a history as a fishing and logging town, but more recently it's given way to big-city retirees and craft breweries.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In part, the Prince of Wales may be addressing a different issue, logging, compared to Harry's organization.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Still, the former University of Miami standout did not want to be dealt, even publicly stating that just hours after the Dolphins’ embarrassing 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
-
For French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, the heist spotlights embarrassing security failings at one of France’s most venerable institutions.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Three decades later, this international liberal order is breaking down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
This is the web version of Fortune Tech, a daily newsletter breaking down the biggest players and stories shaping the future.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20down. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share