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
At least three of the drones were shot down, Warsaw said, with Polish F-16 and Dutch F-35 fighter jets scrambled to respond.
—
David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
The incident comes days after Poland shot down Russian drones that had violated its airspace earlier this week – prompting NATO allies to pledge to beef up defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Polish and allied forces shot down at least three UAVs for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Polish jets shot down at least three of the aircraft.
—George Petras, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
On June 5, 1984, amidst the Iran-Iraq War, Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s intercepted and shot down an Iranian F-4E and damaged a second one that violated Saudi Arabian airspace.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The 2016 book tells the incredible true story of Arthur Meyerowitz, an American turret-gunner whose B-24 bomber was shot down over Vichy France in 1943.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Grenell’s deal reportedly included an extension for Chevron to export oil from Venezuela, a policy option that Rubio has shot down in the past.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 13 July 2025
David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
The incident comes days after Poland shot down Russian drones that had violated its airspace earlier this week – prompting NATO allies to pledge to beef up defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Polish and allied forces shot down at least three UAVs for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Polish jets shot down at least three of the aircraft.
—George Petras, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
On June 5, 1984, amidst the Iran-Iraq War, Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s intercepted and shot down an Iranian F-4E and damaged a second one that violated Saudi Arabian airspace.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The 2016 book tells the incredible true story of Arthur Meyerowitz, an American turret-gunner whose B-24 bomber was shot down over Vichy France in 1943.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Grenell’s deal reportedly included an extension for Chevron to export oil from Venezuela, a policy option that Rubio has shot down in the past.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 13 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shot down
Verb
-
His sophomore slump was ridiculed as his completion percentage dropped and his interception percentage rose.—
Aaron Heisen,
Oc Register,
8 Sep. 2025
-
One of the primary barriers to feeling completely safe with your partner is the fear of being judged, mocked and ridiculed for being honest or opening up.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Miami’s cartophile Argentine defender Tomas Aviles saw his second yellow of the night after pulling back Toklomati and was dismissed in the 79th minute, leaving Messi and his teammates down a man for the final stages.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Fletcher, who was considered a strong contender for a state Senate seat in March 2023 when Figueroa filed her complaint, spoke publicly Friday about the allegations one month after a judge dismissed it.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Szymon Laks, conductor of one of several male orchestras at Auschwitz-Birkenau, vehemently refuted the notion that music was helpful to anyone in the camp.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Ghana’s officials refuted the claims of the lawyers, saying the individuals were returned to their home nations.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Former Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole liked an Instagram post that mocked current Warrior Draymond Green's basketball skills.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Comedians mercilessly mocked their audiences, and audiences liked to punch back.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Antifa supporters were involved in the Black Lives Matter protests that surged in 2020 after then-Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd during an arrest on May 25 of that year.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Strikes have leveled high-rise buildings across the city and killed dozens in recent days as the Israeli military prepared to move in on the ground.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Will cop’s conviction be overturned?—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Medicare Advantage data published by KFF in January found that nearly 82% of prior authorization denials from 2019 through 2023 were partially or fully overturned upon appeal.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the friendship fell apart earlier this year when Farage refused to echo Musk’s support for Robinson, the founder of the now-defunct anti-immigration English Defence League (EDL), who was previously jailed for being in contempt of court by repeating false accusations about a Syrian refugee.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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After handling raw chicken, an employee refused to wash his hands in the handwashing sink, instead of the prep sink.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Texas Legislature passed a bill to that effect during the regular legislative session, but Abbott vetoed the bill, citing legal concerns.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Governor Greg Abbott vetoed the measure, signaling that Texas should regulate, not prohibit, the industry.—
Robert Hoban,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shot%20down. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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