1
as in to ridicule
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
nowadays the aging activist is routinely shot down in most quarters of the media and dismissed as an irrelevant crank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote
every one of my fund-raising ideas was shot down by the other club members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the results of several studies shoot down the hypothesis that coffee causes heart attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shoot down
Ukraine's air force says the attack consisted of 111 Russian drones, 65 of which were shot down and another 35 of which were disabled electronically or failed of their own accord.
—
Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Perhaps the most poignantly passionate reactions came from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who lost her legs and partial use of her right arm as a Black Hawk Army helicopter pilot shot down by Iraqi insurgents.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Although the cast and creator have consistently shot down a reboot, Busy Philipps is giving fans hope for a Dawson’s Creek reunion.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 Mar. 2025
Michelle Monaghan, who plays actress Jaclyn Lemon on the HBO series, recently shot down a popular fan theory about who is responsible for the shooting spree teased in the opening scene of the season.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Perhaps the most poignantly passionate reactions came from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who lost her legs and partial use of her right arm as a Black Hawk Army helicopter pilot shot down by Iraqi insurgents.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Although the cast and creator have consistently shot down a reboot, Busy Philipps is giving fans hope for a Dawson’s Creek reunion.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 Mar. 2025
Michelle Monaghan, who plays actress Jaclyn Lemon on the HBO series, recently shot down a popular fan theory about who is responsible for the shooting spree teased in the opening scene of the season.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
-
Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
His visit to a military base in Greenland to deliver a speech was ridiculed amid unwanted overtures from the U.S. to annex Greenland.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Some say the race was always going to be difficult to win due to inflation and criticism toward the party dismissing concerns about former President Joe Biden's age.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The letter asks Judge Walsh to dismiss the OCA’s lawsuit.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Trump’s own Social Security chief eventually refuted the claim.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2025
-
His lawyers refute the charges and argue no crimes have been committed that violate his visa.—
Anna Spiegel,
Axios,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Constance, the policy consultant, says his 29-year-old daughter had joined other liberal family members in mocking him over his participation in NatalCon.—
Meena Duerson,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Altman mocked Musk by making a counter-offer to buy X for $9.7 billion.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Renee Moore worked near the building and relied on its daycare for her 6-month-old son Antonio Cooper Jr., who was among those killed.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
His father, who had been a central figure in Cold War-era espionage and anti-Castro militancy, was killed in a Key Biscayne bar on December 20, 1982, during a fight.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Trump White House has threatened to veto a bipartisan Senate bill that would check President Trump’s authority to impose new tariffs or increase tariffs by requiring Congress to approve them within 60 days.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
7 Apr. 2025
-
As the trend gathered steam, Democratic President Bill Clinton vetoed 37 bills in his two terms.—
David M. Drucker,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, block unwanted calls and messages and refuse to provide financial information in response to an unexpected request.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Noboa refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela after his staged 2024 election and is also committed to fighting criminal gangs with all available resources to restore peace and security in Ecuador.—
Chris Massaro,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Confusion reigned, and so on Friday, the stock went from positive to negative to deeply negative in a matter of hours.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Feb. 2025
-
Travelers also need to negative COVID-19 test within one day of flying to return to the United States.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
7 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share