as in lorded (it over)
to assume or treat with an air of superiority
just because I don't have extensive experience in the field is no reason to talk down to me as if I were a child
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talked down (to)
Verb
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The film’s British production, and its British filmmaker, can’t help but occupy a large section of the movie’s negative space, inviting questions about who and what exactly is being satirized (or perhaps patronized) in this tale of warring desert nations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
29 Dec. 2025 -
Rather than inspire enthusiasm, the event lineup left the employee feeling patronized.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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San Marcos got the lead back to six before Mission Hills again cut it to one with 20 seconds to go.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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The European Union has mandated that about 80% of new car sales in 2030 should be electric and 100% (since provisionally cut to 90%) in 2035.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Susannah Fullerton on the French Writer’s Feline Muses La Chatte condescended to live with Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette), born in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, France, in 1873, died in Paris, 1954, novelist, actress and journalist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Talked down (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talked%20down%20%28to%29. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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