pooh-poohing

verb

variants also poohing
present participle of pooh-pooh
as in dismissing
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.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-poohing
  1. dismissing
  2. rejecting
  3. ignoring
Verb
  • Things get even more alarming when Eidra can’t reach Tom Libby and reports start rolling in that Vaughn is dismissing everyone in Trowbridge’s government who’d had a significant relationship with Kate and her team.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Citing 2026 laureate Navi Pillay—known for charging Israel with genocide and dismissing free speech—Schatz warns the award now rewards ideological insider posturing rather than genuine efforts to achieve international peace.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Verb
  • Alvarez said that rejecting Amendment 2 means rejecting the small farmer who can’t keep cows in the field.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejecting
Verb
  • Isaac Gonzalez, a traffic safety advocate and founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said roads like Valley Hi Drive were built wide and open, which can lead to drivers ignoring speed limits.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Republicans stripped away key delaying tactics in recent years by ending the filibuster in 2017 and ignoring the Judiciary Committee’s quorum rules in 2020.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignoring
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pooh-poohed
pooh-poohing
pooh-poohs
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Cite this Entry

“Pooh-poohing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-poohing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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