TALKING DOWN Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

talking down

verb

present participle of talk down

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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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 talking down In a daring high-wire act high above the East River, fearless NYPD cops spent nearly an hour on a span of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge talking down a woman desperately threatening to jump. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances. — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking down

Verb

Sunday’s final will be his sixth World Cup match in total and first since dismissing Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth while confronting Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez in the round of 32.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
In response, eBay's board wasted little time in dismissing the proposal.

— Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

Understanding why people label certain animals pests can help society respond to potential conflicts while minimizing harm to both humans and animals.

— Elan Abrell, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
Getting these historical lessons right will be critical to maximizing control of virus spread while minimizing social disruption.

— Marc Lipsitch, STAT, 21 July 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

Burke touted a system of elevated guideways running down many of Los Angeles’ major roads, above auto traffic.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Ralphy Velazquez played the whole game and finally got a hit in his last at-bat, getting to a slider running down-and-in but still in the strike zone for a single to left.

— Keith Law, New York Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of running down

Verb

Weakening high pressure to our east is slowly reducing scorching hot temperatures from earlier this week and diminishing the monsoonal moisture that provided unseasonable rain showers and thunderstorms.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
In Miami-Dade, the transit system faces financial woes Aside from diminishing Miami-Dade’s transit ambitions, the Levine Cava plan also highlights the dire financial picture facing mass transit in the county.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

Definition of diminishing

Verb

If a team has one or zero subs left, a red-card offence would result in them playing down a man.

— The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Mexico pledged to investigate the origins of the parasite outbreak, while playing down the idea that contamination occurred in its territory.

— Jaewon Kang, Fortune, 18 July 2026

Definition of playing down

Verb

But as his brace against Uzbekistan showed, writing off Ronaldo remains a dangerous mistake.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
So, before writing off a sluggish job candidate search as a market issue, take a hard look at the listing itself, from the title to the requirements, the compensation and the hiring process.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 June 2026