1
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
new hires always have to deal with put-downs and practical jokes from the older employees
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2
as in criticism
the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant
your never-ending put-down of my musical talents is really starting to annoy me
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1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
he has the annoying habit of putting down others under the guise of offering constructive criticism
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2
as in to record
to make a written note of
we had the whole agreement put down on paper
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3
as in to enter
to put (someone or something) on a list
put her down as one of the chaperones for the field trip
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4
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
a tyrant who ruthlessly put down uprisings
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5
as in to attribute
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
a fender bender that probably can be put down to the young driver's inexperience
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6
as in to eat
to take in as food
the husky youngster seemed to put down her own weight in food at one sitting
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put-down
Armond White, National Review, 1 Jan. 2025
This sneering put-down is even more bizarre than the swipe at Carter’s phantom operatic output.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Andrew Keatts, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
Beyond Waverly Place picks up more then a decade later, with Justin (Henrie) now raising a mortal family on Staten Island after putting down his wand for good.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Caustic put-downs of Milton Berle, Jim Henson, and Johnny Carson anticipate the partisan snark by which SNL would pillory Millennial conservatives as non-hip — the antiquated value that has bankrupt stand-up comedy today.
—Verb
The typical San Diego homebuyer put down $61,000 14 years ago, compared to the $169,000 needed late last year.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
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Recent White House comments and insults directed at NATO allies – as well as the military alliance itself – have raised alarm and confusion.—
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In a workplace that’s increasingly remote, fast-paced, independent and ever-changing, these aren’t insults.—
Noun
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Loomer accompanied Trump to several campaign events last fall -- a move that prompted criticism from some Republicans at the time.—
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The move has drawn criticism from library advocates and Democrats in Congress, who argue that the IMLS plays a vital role in supporting libraries, particularly in rural and underserved communities.—
Verb
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The company filed two motions to dismiss the case, one for lack of jurisdiction and the other on grounds that consumer fraud laws do not govern editorial speech.—
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The Trump administration is investigating government lawyers who prosecuted Jan. 6 rioters — and will do the same for prosecutors who refused to dismiss corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York.—
Verb
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The administration expects the new rates to remain in place until the U.S. narrows a $1.2 trillion trade imbalance recorded last year.—
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Under former President Joe Biden, border agents frequently recorded over 7,000 border crossings per day.—
Verb
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When Zdeno Chara arrived in Boston and slapped the ‘C’ on his chest in 2006, the Bruins entered an era of strong leadership and built a winning culture.—
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Callender entered in the 86th minute and did not allow a ball to get past him as Inter Miami successfully held off Philadelphia despite an additional nine minutes of stoppage time and some contentious play between the sides down the stretch.—
Verb
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Killorn had quelled the Rangers momentum with a short-handed equalizer less than two minutes before New York reassumed control.—
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Here and there, far from Meemaw’s grave, a few small trees attempted, unsuccessfully, to quell the rage of a Texas sun.—
Verb
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Much of the drop is attributed to growing concerns that the electric vehicle maker's public image has become too closely tied to its CEO, Elon Musk.—
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Kennedy's murder has been attributed to a sole gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald.—
Verb
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Miami was last in the NFL at 57 plays per game last season partly because the offense didn’t convert effectively on third downs, but also because the porous run defense allowed opponents to eat up the clock.—
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The casual restaurant and bar also offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. Sundays.—
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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