talk down (to)

as in to lord (it over)
to assume or treat with an air of superiority just because I don't have extensive experience in the field is no reason to talk down to me as if I were a child

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for talk down (to)
Verb
  • For one, if national security is going to be the routine excuse for not allowing Americans to patronize Chinese businesses, then by extension the employees of Chinese businesses will have greatly reduced means to purchase from American businesses.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Moreover, these restrictions did not address the root causes of the violence, which often occurred outside the establishments and involved individuals not patronizing the venues.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • According to a report on Bloomberg, MSFT is planning to cut thousands of jobs in its Xbox gaming division.
    MoneyShow, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
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.

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“Talk down (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talk%20down%20%28to%29. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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