1
as in insults
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defamations
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put-downs
Crockett, a representative from a deep-blue district that includes much of Dallas, has attained fame with snappy put-downs of Republicans, many of which have gone viral on social media.
—
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Many of them are amusing enough to get chuckles and the odd big laugh but a little more wit amongst the throwaway put-downs would have been welcome.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Many of them are amusing enough to get chuckles and the odd big laugh but a little more wit amongst the throwaway put-downs would have been welcome.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-downs
Noun
-
Years of insults and diss tracks and pranks and social media posts have followed, with small islands of peace floating by from time to time.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
When things go sour, both kids spew insults and indignation with a matter-of-fact insolence.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The vote came after some supervisors issued sharp criticisms of County Executive David Crowley's administration for allowing the lapse to occur.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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And the makers of the show heard those criticisms and responded by…fixing the problem?—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This time, condemnations flowed from across the spectrum — along with demands for an apology that had not come by late afternoon.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Khalil has repeatedly denied the characterizations of his criticism of Israel and pointed to his public condemnations long before his arrest of bigotry against Jews.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
General amnesty law The government has denied that there are political prisoners in Venezuela, rejecting the accusations of torture and ill treatment and saying reports on human rights abuses behind bars are false and politically motivated.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
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The sobering reality, however, is that the legal challenges to the administration’s abuses have been necessary, but not sufficient to secure our freedoms.—
Chris Mattei,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-downs. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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