1
as in ridicules
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
nowadays the aging activist is routinely shot down in most quarters of the media and dismissed as an irrelevant crank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kills
to reject by or as if by a vote
every one of my fund-raising ideas was shot down by the other club members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in refutes
to prove to be false
the results of several studies shoot down the hypothesis that coffee causes heart attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shoots down
Speculation soon followed that this effort was in response to the aforementioned test audience confusion, but Cronin shoots down that notion about the last-minute social media campaign.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2026
And in the comments of her introductory video, her team shoots down every plausible guess.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
The powerful big tech lobby shoots down any law remotely alludes to testing and regulating AI machines.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2026
And in the comments of her introductory video, her team shoots down every plausible guess.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
The powerful big tech lobby shoots down any law remotely alludes to testing and regulating AI machines.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoots down
Verb
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Though Claudius ridicules Hamlet for his emotional vulnerability, his grief drives him to avenge his father and emerge as a hero.—
Jeanette Tran,
The Conversation,
12 Mar. 2026
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Back in their teenage years, Lexi’s older sister Andrea is depicted as a mean girl who ridicules Catherine mercilessly.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Samorajczyk said that high temperatures are what kills weeds with Foamstream or AquaPro and also noted that the DOT is speaking with vendors and scientists who are developing this technology to have a wand on the front bumper to kill weeds on guiderails.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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His film Ring, directed by Hideo Nakata, centered on a cursed videotape that kills viewers seven days after watching it.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is extensive evidence — including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony — that unequivocally refutes her claims.—
Stacy Perman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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The woman vehemently refutes those claims to ABC News, and claims Aaron knew about her personal history, including marital status.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But her desperation seems exposed at Cupertino, too, where Little Tim mocks her for her dim suggestion that psychotherapists be deployed to the company’s Guangzhou factory to cool down a labor crisis.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
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While most of Hell mocks her goal, her devoted partner Vaggi, and their first test subject, adult-film star Angel Dust, stick by her side.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When bumbling village policeman Derry (an endearing Nicholas Braun) dismisses any suspicion of foul play despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it’s left to the sheep to prove otherwise — despite no ability to converse with their human counterparts beyond Lassie-style leading and hinting.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Ohio Republican Party chairman, Alex Triantafilou, dismisses Putsch's attacks as typical for a primary election.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The play is dominated by Lithgow’s towering portrait of the artist as a weary old giant who refuses to concede an inch of ground.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Others rely on patience, research, and the fact that the ground itself refuses to be reduced to one easy headline.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The bill will become law unless the governor vetoes it.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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If Duggan vetoes the ordinance, the council would have a week from the receipt of the veto to override it with a two-thirds majority vote — meaning at least six of the nine council members.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Springtown takes edge in 7-4A race, downs Decatur Springtown got the inside track on the District 7-4A championship after beating Decatur 4-2 in 8 innings on Monday night at Decatur High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
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Greene downs it, throws the kid his jersey, smiles, and all is right with the world.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoots down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoots%20down. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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