down 1 of 6

1
as in downward
toward or in a lower position the stairs went down to the basement

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in away
from this or that place came down from New York for the weekend

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down

2 of 6

adjective

1
2
as in lowered
directed down a down escalator

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3
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness feeling a bit down

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4
5
6

down

3 of 6

noun (1)

as in fur
a soft airy substance or covering a comforter filled with goose down

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down

4 of 6

noun (2)

1
as in accident
something (as a situation or event) that is depressing lately it's been one down after another in my life

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2
3
4
as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude suffered with a psychological disorder in which she alternated between emotional ups and downs

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5

down

5 of 6

noun (3)

down

6 of 6

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of down
Adverb
That was down from 39% in 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Jeremy Cox, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025 Mate Dei, down 3-1, loaded the bases with two out in the 10th. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
With only three regular-season games left and the Frost’s postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the intensity and anxiety usually associated with such a scenario have been replaced by unwanted down time and a splintered roster. Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2025 Over 100 students at the high school on Locust Grove Road, some of whom brought sleeping bags or decks of cards for down time, proceeded to play video games for 24 hours straight. Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Haven’t had some of the emotional ups and downs that at times have plagued him earlier in his career. Antonio Morales, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Listen to this article MIAMI — If nothing else, through the ups and downs, the closing stretch of the Miami Heat’s regular season offered a reminder that big men still can matter in today’s NBA and that a new generation has arrived — including the Heat’s Kel’el Ware. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
With teamwork from groups like the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association and Save the Dunes, downed ash trees were removed from the East Branch of the Little Calumet River. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025 At the beginning of January, during one of the best games of the NBA slate, when the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the Thunder in a shootout, six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell was the one man who couldn’t seem to get a bucket. Fred Katz, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down
Adverb
  • Draw a line from those two stars downward (north) and one encounters Polaris.
    Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • These showed that a chunk was missing from the bottom of Earth’s crust beneath the volcanoes: For some reason, the bottom of the crust became heavy and dripped downward from the top part, leaving a gap.
    Alexandra Witze, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • In the beginning of the movie, Karsh goes on a date, but his grief scares the woman away.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2025
  • It was acquired in 1989 and has remained tucked away in the same private collection ever since—until now.
    Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • An up vote could mean a return to the Trop might be viable by 2026 and tie the Rays to the area for three more seasons.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The company has also eliminated the up charge for dairy-free alternatives, reintroduced condiment bars and ceramic mugs, and promised more comfortable seating and power outlets, but only for paying customers.
    Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The detective here, blending a couple of characters from the book, is Inspector Leach, a depressed drinker so unkempt one wonders why he hasn’t been put on administrative leave.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
  • To my dismay, the leader started feeling depressed rather than taking the actions that were most required.
    Sonal Jain, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • It seems squarely aimed at making kids sick by discouraging vaccination.
    Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Steward said his daughter, while surfing nearby, became sick with an infection from a type of bacteria called MRSA, which is resistant to many antibiotics.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Scott McKenna bossing the defence, Fabio Silva scoring goals for fun, Oli McBurnie bashing around and suddenly speaking excellent Spanish… this is a cause to believe in.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • In a survey of more than 15,000 users after its rollout in 2024, 90% of respondents ranked their experience as excellent or above average.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And even with personnel changes, the standard doesn’t drop.
    Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2025
  • After Kev drops that bombshell on Harry, the two laugh over the fact that that's far from the worst thing Conrad has ever done.
    Matt Cabral, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Anunoby, who also finished with 23 points in Game 1, was tasked with making Cunningham feel a presence as swallowing as Madison Square Garden was on Saturday night.
    James L. Edwards III, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Cut to: Hampton reading from The Book of Jonah, a section of the Old Testament perhaps best known for the titular prophet getting swallowed by a whale.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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