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
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
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
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As the media fixates on the digital natives known as Gen Z and Gen Alpha — often dismissing them as antisocial and entitled members of society — Saturday’s celebration showed that younger generations might actually have it all under control.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Democrats criticized Republicans for dismissing attempts at meaningful reform.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
9 June 2026
Verb
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As with minimizing soil disturbance, this, too, helps tremendously with controlling erosion, increasing the carbon content of soil and conserving moisture.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Ambush hunting enables energy conservation while minimizing the risks associated with pursuit; remaining motionless in water for hours also costs comparatively little.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The Lodge is technically not in Seattle—the converted seminary is located inside Kenmore’s Saint Edward State Park, an expanse of forest with trails running down to the eastern shore of Lake Washington.—
Harry Cheadle,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 May 2026
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In Golden State’s two losses to Indiana and Chicago, the Valkyries struggled when defenses pressed up against their guards and forced them to take tough shots at the rim with the shot clock running down.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The swell on Saturday, which brought moderate 3-to 5-foot surf, was diminishing by the evening and into Sunday, said Sebastian Westerink, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
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This put him in the unusual position of being both an embarrassment and a hugely valuable asset to the BBC, as well as the focus of frequent criticism from the UK’s right-leaning media, most of whom have a commercial interest in diminishing the BBC.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Their forward depth with (Nikolaj) Ehlers playing down the lineup has been a huge strength.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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But after his early doom-laden predictions, Altman may now be an outlier among industry leaders in playing down the impact on work.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
No one was writing off Raman anymore.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Forsaking clay, if only in terms of expectations, means writing off a little more than 20 percent of the season, a quarter of the Grand Slams and, for now, a third of the most important ATP tournaments, the Masters 1000s.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking%20down. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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