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 traumas come from the way people responded, how they’ve been patronized and gaslit and shunned.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
10 June 2026 -
While women often visited less frequently—due both to distance, travel constraints and the fact that early retail environments were not designed with them in mind, Koehn says—most men at least occasionally patronized general stores, and many of them did so frequently.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The moment came in the 73rd minute with a goal from Mauricio to cut the US advantage to 3-1.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Simpson robbed Adell of a homer in the eighth to keep the Rays within two, and Aranda cut it to 4-3 with a two-out single off Farris before Zeferjahn finished.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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That is, until she’s condescended by her chic coworker Emily (Emily Blunt), admonished by Miranda, and given a makeover by Runway art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci).—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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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 16 Jun. 2026.
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