downed

verb

past tense of down
1
as in dropped
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall downed his opponent with one stunning blow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in sipped
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat downing slices of pizza and guzzling bottles of soda

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in killed
to reject by or as if by a vote all attempts to ban indoor smoking had been downed by the town council

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 downed The crisis capped a week of severe weather in which rain swamped dozens of homes in Utah and tornadoes blew off roofs, knocked trees onto houses and downed power lines in Arizona. — Mead Gruver, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 Even so, the government abruptly downed hundreds of trees on the course with little warning earlier this month, which critics worry was a pretext for beginning renovations. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 Earlier in the week, tornadoes blew off roofs, knocked trees onto houses and downed power lines in Arizona. — Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Across the island, the storm downed trees and signs, some smaller structures, and even the ceiling of a college dorm in Taipei. — ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026 Sofiia Lavska/Apostrophe/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Russia's Defense Ministry said, meanwhile, that air defenses downed 808 Ukrainian drones overnight, and that two people were reported injured, The Associated Press reported. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 With night set to fall, many in the area were without power due to outages planned by Southern California Edison in hopes of preventing power lines downed by the winds from sparking fires. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Storm damage reported in metro The storms also brought powerful winds that downed tree limbs and power lines, leaving thousands without power across the Northland. — Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 Despite shooting under 40% at one point in Monday’s game at State Farm Arena, the Hawks downed the Thunder 113-110. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downed
  1. dropped
  2. sipped
  3. killed
  4. toppled
  5. swallowed
  6. dismissed
  7. hit
  8. drank
Verb
  • New Jersey won its second straight to improve to 6-4-0, while the Ducks dropped their fifth in a row to fall to 4-6-0.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • California’s homicide rate dropped to its lowest-ever level on record in 2025, as the number of violent crimes and homicides has dropped in recent decades, both statewide and nationally.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of dropped
Verb
  • Allowing tea to cool until it can be sipped comfortably can prevent burns and could help preserve its potential cardiovascular benefits.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Under glittering chandeliers, pros like Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Leylah Fernandez, and Maria Sakkari played showcase matches as spectators sipped from Champagne flutes.
    — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of sipped
Verb
  • Two women, ages 50 and 60, were killed and dozens of other people were wounded in a Russian strike on a market in Lozova, in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional military administration.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Samuels was killed just minutes after posting about Wright's abuse on social media.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of killed
Verb
  • Strong winds toppled trees in Flagstaff and Mesa, with some landing on walls and carports.
    — Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts say the country's security crisis has worsened since the military toppled the country’s government in July 2023.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of toppled
Verb
  • All the while, another machine consisting of a motor, a cylindrical blade assembly and a conveyor belt swallowed logs into one end and delivered a stream of wood chips out the other.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Before he was swallowed by one in Whalefall, Austin Abrams flew to Dominica to see a sperm whale up close.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of swallowed
Verb
  • The North has denied responsibility for the incident and dismissed Seoul's demand to apologize and remove its remaining mines.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Three weeks before the election, the chairman of Israel’s Central Elections Committee dismissed the case, but the AID Coalition agreed not to buy more blocks on additional flights.
    — Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissed
Verb
  • Social media giant Meta was hit with a class action lawsuit in Australia on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm over the addictive design features and exposure to harmful content on its platforms Facebook and Instagram.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For the past few years, Baba Stiltz has been hitting the open road with nothing but a guitar, a tape deck, and a few pedals.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • The group drank alcohol and used a series of drugs — including cocaine and Xanax from the dark web, prosecutors say.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Her mother drank from the water bottle and realized there was a sour taste, sparking suspicions her water was being tampered with.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of drank

Browse Nearby Words

downdrafts
downed
downer
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Cite this Entry

“Downed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downed. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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