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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put-downs
When Marilyn Walker was a little girl, her grandmother introduced her to sarcasm through genteel put-downs that sounded sweet but weren’t.
—
Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Mar. 2026
Watch a season of the Y2K reality juggernaut and the tone will vacillate wildly between cringe-worthy put-downs via Janice Dickinson, cringier photoshoots, feel-good runway lessons with Miss J, and body positivity monologues from Tyra Banks.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
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
Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Mar. 2026
Watch a season of the Y2K reality juggernaut and the tone will vacillate wildly between cringe-worthy put-downs via Janice Dickinson, cringier photoshoots, feel-good runway lessons with Miss J, and body positivity monologues from Tyra Banks.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-downs
Noun
-
But between rapid-fire questions and candidates hurling insults or talking over one another, the chaotic nature of some debate moments did little to help undecided voters make up their minds about their preferred candidate, some political observers said.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
Sometimes, there’s no better way to pay tribute to a dear friend than by lambasting them with insults.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mitchell has heard all the criticisms of not being able to get out of the second round.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
The most contentious and controversial being some very pointed criticisms of Ole Miss, his former school.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
In addition to condemnations of oil and gas companies, the war has reignited calls for more hardline windfall taxes on fossil fuel firms.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
With a few notable exceptions, Leo kept his political remarks to the leaders largely diplomatic, using a language of encouragement and subtle messaging rather than headline-grabbing condemnations.—
NICOLE WINFIELD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
15 May 2026
-
Parents described this practice as reminiscent of past abuses in government schools that ravaged Native communities.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-downs. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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