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
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
He’s got a special playbook for female opponents that includes put-downs about their appearance, their emotional stability and their intelligence.
—Laurie Kellman, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
Jenny Gathright, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
For young professionals seeking affordability, strong job markets, and social scenes, these American cities offer compelling reasons to put down roots.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Because all those snarky memes and cheeky presidential put-downs won’t seem so funny if JD Vance is inaugurated in January 2029.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
He’s got a special playbook for female opponents that includes put-downs about their appearance, their emotional stability and their intelligence.
—Laurie Kellman, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
They were paid to persuade people to put down their guns, in some cases succeeding.
—Jenny Gathright, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
For young professionals seeking affordability, strong job markets, and social scenes, these American cities offer compelling reasons to put down roots.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
The final insult from State Farm came just hours after Karen Powers died, early on the morning of August 2, 2023.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In an appearance on Fox News, the Trump-supporting singer bashed the choice of Bunny, saying the performance was an insult to the MAGA movement.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The move comes after mounting criticism from international investors following years of power outages and disruptions for businesses in Africa’s biggest economy.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Amid relentless criticism, Bad Bunny gave us a moment in which enjoyment and pride functioned as resistance.—
Lara N. Dotson-Renta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After days of deliberations, the House justice committee voted to dismiss the impeachment complaints filed by left-wing activists and a lawyer against Marcos.—
JIM GOMEZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Saab denied the allegations and appealed to have the charges dismissed on grounds of diplomatic immunity.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Another video recorded by straphangers aboard a train passing through the station shows the killer shove Dawodu, who collapses to the platform covered in blood.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Winner of three consecutive Eastern Conference rookie of the month awards to begin his career, Knueppel is the fastest player to record 100 career 3-pointers made, accomplishing the feat in 29 games.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
More than 1,800 pieces of art were entered in the contest and 193 pieces representing 44 schools in the tri-state area were picked as winners.—
From staff reports,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Her impressive athleticism and recent dominance on the international circuit had her entering Milan riding a high.—
Brittany Ghiroli,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His statement did little to quell the outrage.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Soon after the national security law imposed by Beijing to quell the 2019 massive pro-democracy demonstrations took effect in June 2020, police arrested Lai.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At the time, analysts had attributed Baumgertner's arrest to retaliation for Uralkali's decision to pull out of a joint venture.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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In a separate notice, school officials attributed the lockdown to Cincinnati police officers working at an active crime scene.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As organizers headed back to their vehicles Friday, Pepe de la Torre, 64, ate a red apple and gazed at the crowd.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Eric Richins reportedly broke out in hives and struggled to breathe after eating the sandwich, used his son’s EpiPen and took Benadryl before falling asleep for hours.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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