1
as in ridiculed
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 dismissed
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 refuted
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 shot down
But allegedly, SpaceX shot down Amazon's effort.
—
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Any complaints to management are immediately shot down.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
With a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Highland Park City Council last night shot down plans to turn Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan’s former mansion into a museum that would have received between 100,000 and 180,000 visitors each year.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
All three bills were shelved or shot down, but Senate leadership brought the 287(g) and arrest data measures back last week, in the waning days of the 2026 legislative session.
—Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Any complaints to management are immediately shot down.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
Close to 1,000 drones were launched at Ukraine over the course of Tuesday, of which some 94% were shot down.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region north of Moscow, said 56 drones were shot down there, and a fire broke out in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga as the result of Ukraine’s attack.
—Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Some estimates put the number of Iraqi airplanes shot down by Iranian F-14s at more than 160.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Any complaints to management are immediately shot down.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
With a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Highland Park City Council last night shot down plans to turn Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan’s former mansion into a museum that would have received between 100,000 and 180,000 visitors each year.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
All three bills were shelved or shot down, but Senate leadership brought the 287(g) and arrest data measures back last week, in the waning days of the 2026 legislative session.
—Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Any complaints to management are immediately shot down.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
Close to 1,000 drones were launched at Ukraine over the course of Tuesday, of which some 94% were shot down.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region north of Moscow, said 56 drones were shot down there, and a fire broke out in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga as the result of Ukraine’s attack.
—Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Some estimates put the number of Iraqi airplanes shot down by Iranian F-14s at more than 160.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shot down
Verb
-
Bondi was ridiculed over a move to hand out binders of Epstein files to conservative influencers at the White House, only for it to be later revealed that the documents included no new revelations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Bondi was ridiculed over a move to hand out binders of Epstein files to conservative influencers at the White House only for it to be later revealed that the documents included no new revelations.—
Michelle L. Price,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The investigation is based on debunked fraud claims, as local election officials have already refuted the allegations of discrepancies by explaining that the citizens group’s analysis relied on incomplete data.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Jones, who lived in San Francisco for years before moving to Napa, refuted the insinuation of carpetbagging.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But many other comments mocked the shop along with its presidential namesake, with a few detractors posting memes of tearful snowflakes topped with red MAGA hats.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Tariq’s father, Azim Khamisa, a businessman, forgave the young man who killed his son and has spent his life working to prevent youth violence.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wiemer's first hit was originally called out by first base umpire Marvin Hudson, but was overturned after a challenge by the Nationals.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That pitch was the second in the at-bat that the Orioles correctly overturned, with catcher Adley Rutschman also correctly identifying a pitch called incorrectly by home plate umpire Chris Segal.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Thompson refused to comply and raised the firearm toward the officers.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Some customers claimed that they were still charged for a subscription despite attempts to cancel it, and that the company then refused to give them a refund.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kentucky law passes, even after Beshear's veto After lawmakers passed the House bill, which also banned Medicaid funds from going toward hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery, Beshear vetoed it.—
Jenny Porter Tilley,
Indianapolis Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The provision was originally part of Senate Bill 25-86, a more sweeping set of social media regulations that Polis vetoed last year.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shot%20down. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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