as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
a company that prefers to talk up its own products rather than talk down those of its competitors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of talk down
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—
Anna Earl, Parents, 12 Mar. 2026
Mayor Johnson took the hosts of the JAAM Podcast —JJ, Allen, Abee and Matt, a group of friends from Chicago who talk about politics and culture — to walk and talk down the streets of the city's Austin neighborhood.
—Mikayla Price, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
After Jacksonville, after years of fans feeling talked down to and reporters feeling undermined, this silly little event served a purpose for a change.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for talk down
Anna Earl, Parents, 12 Mar. 2026
Mayor Johnson took the hosts of the JAAM Podcast —JJ, Allen, Abee and Matt, a group of friends from Chicago who talk about politics and culture — to walk and talk down the streets of the city's Austin neighborhood.
—Mikayla Price, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
After Jacksonville, after years of fans feeling talked down to and reporters feeling undermined, this silly little event served a purpose for a change.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for talk down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talk down
Verb
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Authorities had since dismissed her lawyers’ requests to send her to a hospital for urgent treatment.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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There is a long history of women's pain being dismissed by doctors, incorrectly categorized as period pain or rooted in psychological distress.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is a commitment to that philosophy, even as there is a determination to minimize bad outcomes as much as is humanly possible.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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By generating electricity from fuel during flight and switching to a quieter electric mode when required, the system allows smaller drones to extend their operational range while minimizing noise and thermal signatures.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Together, the potential departures of two of Kansas City’s most experienced lawmakers — one on his own terms, one forced — could play a role in shaping the city’s future and diminish its ability to secure local priorities at the federal level.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Visit the city's website for a full run down of what's changed for Wauwatosa's yard waste schedule, or to request an official city cart.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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That may not be enough, with the approach of peak summer energy demand — driven by travel, agriculture and freight needs — especially as emergency oil stockpiles run down, said Duttatreya Das of the think tank Ember.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tehran has played down the prospect of talks or that any breakthrough was imminent as Pakistan acts as an intermediary.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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The industry is bracing for massive jobs cuts, which Ellison has played down and did again Friday, insisting the combined company will operate more efficiently but also grow.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talk down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talk%20down. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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