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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
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
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
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
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
-
Despite the extraordinary decision, Mejia remained in custody while the case returned to Travis County — where was convicted and sentenced to life in prison — for the final legal step of dismissing the charges.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In February, Judge Arun Subramanian handed down a summary judgment dismissing that claim.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That transition preserves the system’s optical degrees of freedom while minimizing scattering or power loss.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Most of Earth’s surface is covered with water, so the probe’s parts are most likely to hit the ocean—minimizing the risk to humans.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Its winter operation, which offers the stark visual of a sled running down an ice- and snow-covered track surrounded by a subarctic landscape, has captured international attention.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 2026
-
There’s always a bead of sweat running down his forehead.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Over time, your appliance builds up with minerals from hard water, such as calcium and magnesium, diminishing its ability to effectively clean your items.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The drumbeat for the diminishing prospects of the first-run syndication business has been growing louder over the past few years amid a shrinking marketplace.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not playing down the stretch was a function of stiffness.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
