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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for talk down (to)
Verb
  • Don’t patronize the big cruise ships.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Spectacle is one way to get people to show up in person and perhaps patronize other businesses too.
    Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The state says the rule is crucial to meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and cutting smog-forming pollutants.
    David Shepardson, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
  • With the new order, Trump is threatening to cut federal funds to cities and states his Administration decides are blocking his mass deportation effort.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 29 Apr. 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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Cite this Entry

“Talk down (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talk%20down%20%28to%29. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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