1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
most critics have already written off that director as a hack incapable of turning out anything but schlock
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reduce
to diminish the price or value of
that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of write off
When the West Coast divested from coal, national headlines all but wrote off this town of 3,000 as dying.
—
Kirk Siegler, NPR, 2 May 2026
There is a bronze bust waiting for him in Canton one day, and writing off his career right now would be a fool’s errand.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Per executives, Ganesh was written off for storyline purposes, leaving fans to mourn the beloved character.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for write off
Kirk Siegler, NPR, 2 May 2026
There is a bronze bust waiting for him in Canton one day, and writing off his career right now would be a fool’s errand.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Per executives, Ganesh was written off for storyline purposes, leaving fans to mourn the beloved character.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for write off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for write off
Verb
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Then in September, Newsom's Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp sent an email to JUSD administrators on what appeared to include a copy of the state's motion to dismiss that lawsuit, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Curiel also declined to dismiss causes of action against three of the deputy’s supervisors, who are accused of knowing the female deputy failed to return to the scene and had dissuaded Quinones from providing assistance.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned at a Singaporean prison for vandalism, a day after his sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
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In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has—unfairly—been reduced to an excuse to drink tequila and eat guac.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Over the past decade or so, hourly workers across an increasing number of industries have been grappling with erratic schedules that their employers put in place using technology designed to minimize labor costs and maximize productivity.—
Huo Jingnan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
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This two-in-one Dove cream pulls double duty as a moisturizing lotion and a serum that’s packed with niacinamide, vitamin C, pro-retintol, and shea butter to minimize the appearance of dark spots, even your complexion, smoothen texture, and brighten the skin.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Hudson Pacific Properties bought the company in 2022 for $360 million, but has since had to write down the entire value of its Quixote unit due to heavy operating losses.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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After writing down his guess, to which the first lady reacted in shock, officers informed them all to get down.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even the most ambitious stories often felt exhausted by the third installment, with diminishing creative and financial returns.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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Israel has repeatedly criticized the Lebanese government for not doing enough to diminish Hezbollah’s capabilities.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stage one willl improve flow through the creek that runs down the boundary between Midlothian and Crestwood, including a major improvement to the culvert at 143rd Street and Linder Avenue, Buerger said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Evelyn ran down from her seat two rows up, dropped to the ground and attempted to secure the ball in front of her.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The news came as BlackRock and JPMorgan played down fears of an AI bubble.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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Epstein’s private island Lutnick has played down his ties to Epstein, who was once his neighbor in New York City.—
Stephen Groves,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Baldwin also said district custodians are understaffed, supplied with broken or old equipment, have been denied language interpreters during meetings and are in general talked down to by administrative staff.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Shotwell seems to exude a certain kind of humility and, in this interview, even talk down her own role at SpaceX at times.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Write off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/write%20off. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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