1
as in dismissed
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reduced
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
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Recent Examples of written off
Clarkson, Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson and Jose Alvarado all could have been written off at points in their careers.
—
James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
What multiple doctors had written off as dry skin was, in fact, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that starts in white blood cells called T cells and primarily affects the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Per executives, Ganesh was written off for storyline purposes, leaving fans to mourn the beloved character.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
For backlist titles, it is generally assumed that any major initial investment costs have already been recouped (or written off).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
The Looney Tunes movie starring Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor was shelved and written off by the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros in November 2023 after completion as the P&A economics for a theatrical release didn’t make sense for the $70M production.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
Why more Sacramento residents are seeking evaluation As public awareness changes, individuals who were formerly written off as chaotic, fragile, strange or unstable are now seeing those outdated stories from a contemporary perspective.
—Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Like, at first glance, they’re completely written off.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
What multiple doctors had written off as dry skin was, in fact, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that starts in white blood cells called T cells and primarily affects the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Per executives, Ganesh was written off for storyline purposes, leaving fans to mourn the beloved character.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
For backlist titles, it is generally assumed that any major initial investment costs have already been recouped (or written off).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
The Looney Tunes movie starring Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor was shelved and written off by the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros in November 2023 after completion as the P&A economics for a theatrical release didn’t make sense for the $70M production.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
Why more Sacramento residents are seeking evaluation As public awareness changes, individuals who were formerly written off as chaotic, fragile, strange or unstable are now seeing those outdated stories from a contemporary perspective.
—Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Like, at first glance, they’re completely written off.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for written off
Verb
-
And that’s partly why Weltman dismissed coach Jamahl Mosley the day after the Magic were eliminated and also discussed Orlando’s roster needs — which, in his eyes, include more shooting and veteran help.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
Adams dismissed this notion out of hand, with no small amount of hostility.—
New York Daily News,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Kentucky and Utah have reduced levies.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
In many ways, Kris aches to be reduced to such simple matter, to strip away all of her heady anxiety and surrender to basic want.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Making bsissa—a tradition passed down through generations—is an art, yet nothing is measured or written down.—
Boutheina Ben Salem,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
The Tripitaka had been passed down orally in India for centuries after the death of the Buddha before being written down in Sri Lanka about the 1st century bce.—
Ethan Teekah,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Giacomo, a 50-1 shot, wins the Kentucky Derby, running down a game Afleet Alex in the final strides and generating a huge payoff.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
This dress included floral embroidery around the collar, neckline, cuffs and running down the front placket of the design.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite winning a landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour's popularity has sunk and Starmer is getting much of the blame.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
New data from the Commonwealth Fund shows how low Texas healthcare has sunk below national averages on multiple measures.—
Chris Tomlinson,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The news came as BlackRock and JPMorgan played down fears of an AI bubble.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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Epstein’s private island Lutnick has played down his ties to Epstein, who was once his neighbor in New York City.—
Stephen Groves,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Baldwin also said district custodians are understaffed, supplied with broken or old equipment, have been denied language interpreters during meetings and are in general talked down to by administrative staff.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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There’s always a chance that Fetterman’s prospective foes get talked down from the ledge.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Written off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/written%20off. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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