1
as in dropping
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
downed his opponent with one stunning blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in sipping
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat
downing slices of pizza and guzzling bottles of soda
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dismissing
to reject by or as if by a vote
all attempts to ban indoor smoking had been downed by the town council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downing
Prosecutor Andrew Figliuzzi claimed Chambers dined at a Houston restaurant before hitting three bars on the night of the crash, per the Chronicle, allegedly downing at least six alcoholic beverages and using cocaine.
—
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Have an experience close to sipping wine than downing grain alcohol.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Then there's the mental hurdle of downing a glass of brown or yellow liquid.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
The junior running back rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught another as his team recovered a fumble and recorded three interceptions en route to downing crosstown rival East Ridge 23-15 at TCO Stadium in Eagan.
—Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported downing at least 51 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
—Lilia Geho, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
After downing Oceanside 32-0 on Monday night, Del Norte (12-4) was riding an 8-game winning streak.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
By Andy McCullough, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma For the first time since 2018, the Milwaukee Brewers have won a postseason series, advancing to the National League Championship Series after downing the Chicago Cubs, 3-1, in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jim Lorentz crossed paths with the American Motel in Wheat Ridge many times — whether as a cop hauling out a domestic violence suspect, as a diner downing comfort food in the restaurant or as a guest in the Elvis suite on his wedding night.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Have an experience close to sipping wine than downing grain alcohol.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Then there's the mental hurdle of downing a glass of brown or yellow liquid.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
The junior running back rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught another as his team recovered a fumble and recorded three interceptions en route to downing crosstown rival East Ridge 23-15 at TCO Stadium in Eagan.
—Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported downing at least 51 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
—Lilia Geho, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
After downing Oceanside 32-0 on Monday night, Del Norte (12-4) was riding an 8-game winning streak.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
By Andy McCullough, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma For the first time since 2018, the Milwaukee Brewers have won a postseason series, advancing to the National League Championship Series after downing the Chicago Cubs, 3-1, in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jim Lorentz crossed paths with the American Motel in Wheat Ridge many times — whether as a cop hauling out a domestic violence suspect, as a diner downing comfort food in the restaurant or as a guest in the Elvis suite on his wedding night.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing
Verb
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But such is the lightning pace of Mbappe that he might be best placed dropping deeper during build-up before darting in-behind.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
After dropping 43 points against Golden State on Tuesday, Doncic somehow topped it, finishing with 49 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists and etching his name in the history books for several reasons.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Two seasons ago, a motley assembly of A-listers including Lewis Hamilton, Zoey Deutch, Nina Dobrev and Jared Leto, arrived to the Antarctic peninsula on a 414-foot mega-yacht, sporting sequin dresses and tuxedos, sipping tulips of champagne.—
Brad Japhe,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Oct. 2025
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Gather with friends and while away the afternoon with magically spiked concoctions — whether sipping a Jasmine Peach or Cucumber Mint Mystic Tea — and extravagant savory and sweet treats.—
Kathryn Streeter,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the aftermath of the meeting, LSU personnel met to discuss the viability of dismissing the coach, considering his massive buyout clause.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Comments such as these underlie the medical establishment’s long history of dismissing women’s pain, which can further harm their health.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gausman had retired 17 straight Dodger batters until the seventh inning, when Smith yet again got the best of him, hitting a solo home run to break the stale mate.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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The singing voices behind KPop Demon Hunters' beloved girl group HUNTR/X will be hitting the stage to perform live in concert for the first time.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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In recent years he's suffered from post-polio syndrome -- difficulty swallowing and tightness and pain in his limbs.—
Arthur Allen,
ABC News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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Local police and first responders are also accused of failing to take Davis’ threats of killing someone seriously.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Back in 1961, residents of Capitola woke up to find that hordes of black seabirds were slamming into cars, windows and people's homes and dying.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Ford said earlier that his province was spending $75 million to run ads in the United States slamming the impact of tariffs and featuring clips of Reagan.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To manage your thirst, try limiting your salt intake, drinking enough water throughout the day, and regulating your bedroom temperature.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
23 Oct. 2025
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Then last year, Tuco started drinking more water than usual.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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