as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
a company that prefers to talk up its own products rather than talk down those of its competitors
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Recent Examples of talking down
During his remarks, Beshear accused Vance, whose memoir explores issues such as poverty and the lack of opportunity in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, of talking down to the people of Kentucky.
—
Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 12 Mar. 2026
Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Dec. 2025
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 12 Mar. 2026
Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Dec. 2025
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking down
Verb
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On this front, Hochul is correct to push for a reevaluation, and the lawmakers dismissing the idea out-of-hand should come up with viable alternatives for protecting New Yorkers from price shocks that are well out of their control.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
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Missé, of course, is upset about it, particularly because Margo brings up what Kimi said about the murder being drug related while dismissing it, which is the part that makes this discussion tricky.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sponsored and provided by LifeBridge Health Maintaining adequate nutrition during cancer treatment is important for sustaining strength, minimizing side effects and supporting the best treatment response possible.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The plan also is aimed at minimizing its impact on the neighborhood.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The phone hit Green near his ear, with blood quickly running down his neck following the impact.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
15 Mar. 2026
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What the picture didn’t document were the tears running down Marilyn’s cheeks.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, the need for RTGs was laid bare by Curiosity and Perseverance's predecessors, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were purely solar powered but suffered from diminishing power as Martian dust covered their solar arrays.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Without sufficient funds, the upkeep of these amenities may decline, potentially lowering property values and diminishing residents’ quality of life.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.—
Apress,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In addition to changing federal regulations, such as the end of up to $7,500 in federal tax credits, the R2 comes to market as many automakers are pulling back their EV plans or writing off billions of dollars in losses amid slower-than-expected adoption of the vehicles.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
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Instead of writing off the cost of certain assets over several years, businesses can generally deduct the full cost upfront, within limits.—
Forbes Money Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking%20down. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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