variants
also pooh
as in to dismiss
informal
to think or say that (something) is not very good or not true
They pooh-poohed my suggestion. He pooh-poohed the idea that the house was haunted.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pooh-pooh
But weather forecasters typically pooh-pooh their predictions.
—
Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings.
—Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010
Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings.
—Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010
Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-pooh
Verb
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The case was dismissed after the judge overseeing the case ruled prosecutors did not properly turn over evidence to the defense.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
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Even when your partner makes an effort to reconnect — through a joke, a kind gesture or an apology — your mind may dismiss it, keeping you stuck in the negative experience.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This idea of spreading the games out as widely as possible was rejected by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on Real Madrid TV after Saturday’s win at Villarreal.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
19 Mar. 2025
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The Florida Supreme Court and a federal appeals court each rejected appeals to delay James' execution.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Yet there’s no ignoring the fact that the Rockies would’ve loved to have Brito penciled in as their second baseman this year.—
Daniel R. Epstein,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Many such studies ignore, rather than seriously examine, biological realities.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-pooh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-pooh. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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