1
as in dismissing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reducing
to diminish the price or value of
that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up
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 writing off
Instead of writing off entire nations, development banks could channel financing to subnational jurisdictions that demonstrate resilience.
—
Robert Ginsburg, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
But folks aren’t writing off Clemson now.
—Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Playoff hopes may be dimming, but the New England Revolution is not writing off the 2025 season as its front office presses on with an active summer transfer window.
—Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Robert Ginsburg, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
But folks aren’t writing off Clemson now.
—Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Playoff hopes may be dimming, but the New England Revolution is not writing off the 2025 season as its front office presses on with an active summer transfer window.
—Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writing off
Verb
-
Put frankly, dismissing intention has boxed the ivory tower into a corner for its ability to handle difficult conversations relating to religion.—
Matthew Mayhew,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The singer defended Siwa and recounted her own experiences as a bisexual woman falling in love with a man after previously dismissing the idea.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The French prime minister was widely expected to lose the motion after failing to win support from political rivals on both the right and left for 2026 budget plans aimed at reducing the country's yawning budget deficit.—
Ganesh Rao,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
-
At Tufts University, scientists have developed a new drug that aims to boost weight loss while also reducing the nausea, muscle loss and weight regain associated with popular GLP-1 medications.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The schedule will continue to get tougher from here, so minimizing those first quarter mistakes will be essential.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Its guidelines include optimizing thermostat settings, minimizing electricity and hot water use, and leveraging natural light.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 2019, after massive layoffs and lost sales, the company shocked Wall Street by writing down the value of marquee brands Oscar Mayer and Kraft by $15 billion.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Two weeks later, the Virgo solar eclipse asks you to ground those dreams by actually making the calls, sending the emails, or writing down the plan.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The prosecutor's office said additional officers who responded to the scene saw a man, later identified as 29-year-old Shaquille Green, running down a nearby street.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Police do not believe Carbajal was involved in the initial shots fired call and are still looking to speak with the woman who was running down the stairs, Clark added.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The difference is the wisdom to recognize that giving away public-trust land and diminishing our quality of life forsakes the permanent greater good for the temporary benefit of a few developers and residents.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
In an era of diminishing trust in government institutions and the media, conspiracy theories about high-profile crimes can get significant traction in the absence of a conclusive motive.—
Ernesto Londoño,
Twin Cities,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There’s usually a physical requirement, as well as severely playing down the high-wattage glamor that got you on red carpets in the first place.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The Chiefs know something about playing down a man or two at the position.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Writing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writing%20off. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share