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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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 The Malheur standoff also drew in the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, which Northern California sheriffs credited for talking down the Henrichsens and ending last month’s kidnapping without bloodshed. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking down

Verb

In the filing, the Justice Department urged the appeals court to reverse the Tennessee federal judge’s ruling dismissing criminal charges against Abrego Garcia.

— Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The book resuscitates the childhood feeling that most of us spend our lives tamping down and dismissing, if not completely extinguishing.

— Chris Ware, The New York Review of Books, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

That’s no problem for them, because the failures occur years after the discussions, minimizing the political risk to those who voted for these misguided plans.

— Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
Patagonia, for example, has long organized itself around a commitment to minimizing its impact on the planet.

— Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

Ron stops and stares ahead, dumbfounded, with a man’s shirt in his hand and blood running down his face.

— Barry Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Fittingly, the style comes in three colorways including Zebra Soapstone, a tan take on the trendy animal print, and Gilded Umber, a rich, chocolate brown adorned with gold-tone grommets running down each outer seam.

— Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of running down

Verb

Several Gulf countries have already announced plans to expand or build new pipeline capacity to evade the Strait of Hormuz, likely diminishing its importance as a chokepoint within several years.

— Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
But each step up the sanctions ladder brings greater diplomatic costs — and diminishing certainty that additional economic damage will translate into political concessions.

— Magdalena Del Valle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminishing

Verb

In response to the concerns, companies including Amazon and Microsoft have been playing down the issue, saying the data center water use can be done responsibly, or sourced from wastewater.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
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

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