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
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
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 11 Sep. 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
Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Dec. 2025
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 11 Sep. 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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Consequently, before dismissing this federal tax credit scholarship careful consideration should be given to who can benefit from this additional funding and if this program allows a win-win situation for both public and private schools across Illinois.—
Froylan Jimenez,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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My career at The Times started as my mother was dying of ovarian cancer after years of doctors dismissing her health concerns.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The quarterly rebalanced assortment of large-, mid-, and small-cap RV Portfolio stocks offers an adaptable way to capitalize on favorable market conditions while minimizing losses when the market declines, as detailed in RV Portfolio performance metrics.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Lake Tahoe property, once marketed as one of the region’s most expensive listings, features multiple structures on five acres, direct lake access, and two glass funiculars running down the hillside to the water.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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People are just running down the street.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From there, steamboats of diminishing sizes could make their way up the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri rivers and smaller ones like the Tennessee, Arkansas and even the Wabash.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
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Which wouldn’t be such a bad outcome for most documentary films — arguably moviedom’s most beleaguered genre due to diminishing audience appetite at the multiplex level.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Not playing down the stretch was a function of stiffness.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 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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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
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Also since the press conference, some doctors have begun writing off-label prescriptions for autistic children, against the advice of medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking%20down. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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