1
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
new hires always have to deal with put-downs and practical jokes from the older employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criticism
the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant
your never-ending put-down of my musical talents is really starting to annoy me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
he has the annoying habit of putting down others under the guise of offering constructive criticism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to record
to make a written note of
we had the whole agreement put down on paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to enter
to put (someone or something) on a list
put her down as one of the chaperones for the field trip
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
a tyrant who ruthlessly put down uprisings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to attribute
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
a fender bender that probably can be put down to the young driver's inexperience
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6
as in to eat
to take in as food
the husky youngster seemed to put down her own weight in food at one sitting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put-down
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 27 Mar. 2025
Ageism shows up, for example, in some commercials, with the cliched generational put-downs.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 May 2025
The uprising was put down by government forces during Uruguay’s military dictatorship, and Mujica was subsequently imprisoned for nearly 15 years, enduring many forms of torture.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Some in-laws may be more subtle with their put-downs.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 27 Mar. 2025
Ageism shows up, for example, in some commercials, with the cliched generational put-downs.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
When members of the group croak, they aren’t put down, they’re merely put… out.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 May 2025
The uprising was put down by government forces during Uruguay’s military dictatorship, and Mujica was subsequently imprisoned for nearly 15 years, enduring many forms of torture.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
They were quickly showered with boos and insults, along with various food items and beverages, including my mother’s large Pepsi.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2025
-
Students understood the insult – and its historical sting.—
Simon Montlake,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Also rejected was a proposal soliciting a report on warehouse working conditions, a perennial source of criticism of the company.—
Greg Bensinger,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
-
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Deborah Rutter, the former Kennedy Center president who was fired by President Donald Trump in a major shakeup of the institution, is rejecting criticisms of her tenure.—
Elizabeth Blair,
NPR,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The charges were dismissed because West’s cause of death was not determined, and some evidence had been illegally obtained. (Netflix) Lewis was convicted of six counts of mail fraud in a 1981 credit card scheme in Kansas City.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
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The case against him was ultimately dismissed last July after the prosecutors committed a Brady violation.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Verb
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The longest humpback whale migration ever recorded was 8,106 miles, from South America to Africa, though more typical distances are around 5,000 miles.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 May 2025
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In 2018 Amazon’s Alexa recorded a married couple’s conversation about hardwood floors and sent it to one of the husband’s employees.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
Verb
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After Klinghoffer entered his plea, a prosecutor read a statement that warned against distracted driving.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
29 May 2025
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Conor beats Li down a couple times, Han comes to visit, and Li enters the Five Boroughs tournament (where of course a fight against Conor is destined to happen).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
Verb
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But the comeback attempts staged by the visitors were repeatedly quelled by one of their greatest strengths.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In that case, Israeli soldiers fired live rounds into the air to disperse crowds, with the GHF seeking to quell concerns over its rocky first week of operations in a news release Wednesday.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The Innovation Gap: By The Numbers The wealth gap between the EU and US, which was 17% in 2002, has widened to 30% in 2023, with 72% of this gap attributed to productivity differentials rather than labor contribution.—
RSM Discovery,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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The mother initially attributed the baby’s distress to her digestive issues and claimed she had never been dropped.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2025
Verb
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This spot for soccer fans offers lots of pub fare to eat and drink.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2025
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The calls came while eating lunch, while lying in bed at night.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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