as in dismissing
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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Recent Examples of talking down
Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.
—
Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
During his remarks, Beshear accused Vance, whose memoir explores issues such as poverty and the lack of opportunity in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, of talking down to the people of Kentucky.
—Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 12 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
Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Dec. 2025
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
During his remarks, Beshear accused Vance, whose memoir explores issues such as poverty and the lack of opportunity in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, of talking down to the people of Kentucky.
—Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 12 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
Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Dec. 2025
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking down
Verb
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Minnesota public universities can continue to offer in-state tuition and scholarships to some immigrants in the country without legal status, a federal judge ruled on Friday, dismissing a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice last summer that attempted to halt the programs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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While widely dismissing the appeal, the Court also referred preliminary questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding certain aspects of the obligation mechanism, leaving the legal debate open.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The serum is formulated with a holy grail powerhouse that consists of a fortifying complex, firming complex, and Matrixyl 3000—all pivotal for minimizing signs of aging.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
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Maybe so, but there's no minimizing the impact of size this week in Indianapolis.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Bruins held the ball with the clock running down, and Leger-Walker dribbled it to around the top of the three-point line and stopped.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The phone hit Green near his ear, with blood quickly running down his neck following the impact.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, the need for RTGs was laid bare by Curiosity and Perseverance's predecessors, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were purely solar powered but suffered from diminishing power as Martian dust covered their solar arrays.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Without sufficient funds, the upkeep of these amenities may decline, potentially lowering property values and diminishing residents’ quality of life.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.—
Apress,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In addition to changing federal regulations, such as the end of up to $7,500 in federal tax credits, the R2 comes to market as many automakers are pulling back their EV plans or writing off billions of dollars in losses amid slower-than-expected adoption of the vehicles.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
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Instead of writing off the cost of certain assets over several years, businesses can generally deduct the full cost upfront, within limits.—
Forbes Money Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking%20down. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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