as in to simplify
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Recent Examples of dumb down
The president-elect tends to avoid details—during his first term, aides learned to dumb down their presentations with bullet points.
—
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Where there other ideas about how to dumb down Sage?
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 June 2024
Whoever has decided to dumb down America has done a really good job.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Business Column: Red-state efforts to dumb down their universities will provoke a brain drain
May 2, 2023
GOP legislators in Wisconsin held hostage $800 million in funding for the state university and blocked all staff pay raises unless the university cut back DEI programs.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024
But Jason didn’t dumb down any of his writing.
—New York Times, 15 Aug. 2022
His knack for skewering Broadway’s smash hits and for commenting on its craven tendencies to dumb down for and rip off its customers is unparalleled.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022
Angela Merkel, chancellor when the pandemic started, holds a doctorate in quantum chemistry and refused to dumb down science while addressing the public.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2022
Yet the Biden Administration is mounting a regulatory assault on business, while progressives dumb down math and science with a woke curriculum.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 2 Feb. 2022
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Where there other ideas about how to dumb down Sage?
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 June 2024
Whoever has decided to dumb down America has done a really good job.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Business Column: Red-state efforts to dumb down their universities will provoke a brain drain
May 2, 2023
GOP legislators in Wisconsin held hostage $800 million in funding for the state university and blocked all staff pay raises unless the university cut back DEI programs.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024
But Jason didn’t dumb down any of his writing.
—New York Times, 15 Aug. 2022
His knack for skewering Broadway’s smash hits and for commenting on its craven tendencies to dumb down for and rip off its customers is unparalleled.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022
Angela Merkel, chancellor when the pandemic started, holds a doctorate in quantum chemistry and refused to dumb down science while addressing the public.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2022
Yet the Biden Administration is mounting a regulatory assault on business, while progressives dumb down math and science with a woke curriculum.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 2 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumb down
Verb
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Ray remains open to the endless possibilities of AI with plans for more tech integration, and the goal stays the same: not to make projects simpler but to take on more complex ones by simplifying management.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
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The key lies in simplifying your beauty routine—opt for a lightweight skin tint or strategic spot concealing.—
Stixx Mathews,
Essence,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Second, oversimplifying the past limits capacity to draw accurate lessons.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2025
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Maybe sales is oversimplifying implementation requirements.—
Ron Carson,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Looser regulations in the domestic mining industry to streamline permitting processes are expected to pave the way for producers to launch or scale up their critical mineral extraction efforts more easily.—
Michaela Rychetska and Aissa Dearing,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Feb. 2025
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At the same time, the LPGA TOUR released a new policy that will be implemented in the coming weeks with strict measures to streamline the pace of play at its tournaments.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near dumb down
Cite this Entry
“Dumb down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumb%20down. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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