SHOOT DOWN Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

shoot down

verb

Definition of shoot down

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

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

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 In September, a drone that violated Lithuanian airspace was shot down over the nation’s territory for the first time, following similar incidents in Latvia and Estonia. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026 Two weeks after that, Romanian F-16s scrambled to intercept three Russian drones over Romanian airspace, and a Spanish jet shot down a fourth near the Moldovan border. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026 From her first appearance until her plane is shot down in January 1944, Sanjak is an agent of chaos. — Gaby Iori october 7, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 Walker Monfort on Tuesday shot down the notion that his family would sell the Rockies. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoot down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down

Verb

Reportedly, William is willing to speak to Harry because things have reached a point where they’re being ridiculed for the standoff.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 12 Oct. 2026
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer’s job is one of the most ridiculed in the country these days.

— Noah White, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of ridicule

Verb

The stance has seen Newsom, who warns the passage of Prop 40 could see an exodus of the super rich from California, mocked and dismissed by fellow Democrats.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
The complaint was ultimately dismissed, and Iowa's Republican leaders celebrated the ruling.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismiss

Verb

The app then connects them with a doctor who will confirm or refute AI’s initial findings within three minutes.

— Alana Semuels, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Others describe the studies necessary to replicate, refute or refine these advances and ensure the necessary scientific rigor to successfully discover and develop new drugs.

— Fred D. Ledley, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of refute

Verb

Critics mocked Zacharia’s performance during her first and last press conference on Tuesday, and ripped her for describing herself as an attorney, despite having never passed the bar exam.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026
The Difference Between Names And Dynamics Richard Feynman recalled being mocked by another child for not knowing a bird’s name.

— Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mock

Verb

Hundreds of Palestinians have been attacked and a few have been killed this olive harvest alone, which started in late September, rights groups have said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Police were investigating what caused the pickup truck to barrel through a soccer field, killing a man and a child.

— Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

Gee refused to budge, saying the 10-year ban was firm and accusing the national organizations of encouraging the break.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
In one instance, a Minnesota hotel that refused to let immigration officers stay there in January apologized after public criticism from DHS, saying the decision violated its internal policies.

— Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of refuse

Verb

But bad news continued as a leading ratings agency slashed its outlook for BMW to negative from stable, as analysts wondered if the German manufacturing base might be under threat.

— Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
The move is part of Moody’s broader revision of its outlook for private credit investment vehicles to negative.

— Sharon Klyne, Bloomberg, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of negative

Browse Nearby Words

shoot at

shoot down

shooter

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shoot down

verb

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