writes off

verb

present tense third-person singular of write off
1
as in dismisses
to express scornfully one's low opinion of most critics have already written off that director as a hack incapable of turning out anything but schlock

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reduces
to diminish the price or value of that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for writes off
  1. dismisses
  2. reduces
  3. minimizes
  4. writes down
  5. runs down
  6. diminishes
  7. plays down
  8. talks down
Verb
  • Democratic lawmakers demand investigations and an oversight visit, alleging dangerous conditions and poor treatment aboard the Lincoln, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismisses the reports as exaggerated and misrepresented.
    — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismisses
Verb
  • This eliminates manual handoffs, reduces errors and ensures cash flow is tracked from the first quote, not after the fact.
    — Ashish Srimal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Swapping every other drink for a non-alcoholic option reduces total consumption and creates longer gaps between servings.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduces
Verb
  • Conduct yourself in a way that minimizes unnecessary harm to innocent people.
    — Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Why reward a debt collector if your agent can negotiate an agreement that minimizes your loss?
    — Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of minimizes
Verb
  • Once in a while this person writes down seven lines only to cross out one of them fifteen minutes later, and then another hour passes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • No one writes down why, and the consequences compound over time.
    — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 28 June 2026
Definition of writes down
Verb
  • The Reds rallied from three runs down in the eighth inning after White Sox starter Sean Burke allowed only one run on three hits in seven innings.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Blood runs down Zack’s chin before his parents swear to tell the truth.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of runs down
Verb
  • Screening cover diminishes, and the birds will almost always be in lowland covers that offer both security and food.
    — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • When your nervous system becomes overwhelmed, your ability to access your best thinking, empathy, creativity and judgment diminishes.
    — Sharon A. Kuhn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • Wang plays down the potential for renegade robots to wreak havoc.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 July 2026
  • Even for the Kremlin, which often plays down painful setbacks, the stark reality has become hard to sidestep.
    — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Definition of plays down
Verb
  • The movie goes from this weird, seedy love motel to the industrial backwaters, and these long walks and talks down empty streets.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
  • The show never talks down to the audience.
    — Rachel DeSantis, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Definition of talks down
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.

Browse Nearby Words

writes down
writes off
writes up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Writes off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writes%20off. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All