DOWNING Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

downing

verb

present participle of down

as in dropping

to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall downed his opponent with one stunning blow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in sipping

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dismissing

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 downing The combination of Chance downing teams inside the 10-yard line combined with a suffocating defense could be a recipe for success for TCU in the final half of the season. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Saturday, spawning tornadoes, destroying buildings and downing power lines across the Gulf region. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026 Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Destin as a Category 2 storm on Friday night, bringing wind gusts of more than 110 mph to the Florida Panhandle, downing trees, scattering debris and leaving at least two people dead. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 In southeastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York, gusts could be almost as strong, potentially downing tree limbs and power lines. — Matthew Mulligan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026 Sustained winds will reach 25–35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph, capable of downing tree limbs and causing power outages. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026 Tornado sirens blare and strong winds cause chaos — downing branches, trees and powerlines, damaging buildings and pulling the roof off houses. — Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Sep. 2026 As leaders meet, overnight Russian strikes kill and injure civilians, ignite fires and hit transport and shopping hubs, underscoring the war’s reach even as Moscow touts downing hundreds of Ukrainian drones. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 The object of his attention is Alexander Isak, the striker who left Newcastle for Liverpool a year ago after downing tools and refusing to play and is now back on Tyneside for the first time. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing

Verb

Her work at both ends of the court — including dropping a shocking 30 points in Game 2 against the league’s best defense — has led the Dream to a dominant start in the series.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
But there’s something to be said for dropping your adversary off in a Chicago beset by a mushroom cloud.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of dropping

Verb

During my stay some visitors curled up on the couches against the evening desert chill, sipping hot drinks spiked with Amarula, a South African liqueur, surrounded by flickering candles.

— Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Barrington and Henrot soon joined a crowd snacking on salmon blini and caviar and sipping endless flutes of Champagne.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of sipping

Verb

In September, Judge Jonathan Medema ordered a stay of the civil case so the two sides could work to resolve the dispute without dismissing the case.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
The court granted that request, entering judgment for the United States on Count III of the government’s complaint and dismissing the remaining counts as moot.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Each draw is tied to Anthropic hitting certain compute capacity milestones.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

For head and neck cancer survivors specifically, nearly all clinicians routinely assess cancer recurrence, swallowing and thyroid function.

— Marci Lee Nilsen, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026
People who have been infected with salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria, health officials said.

— Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of swallowing

Verb

Earlier this week, missiles fired by the Houthis struck a residential area in Taiz, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Russia's aerial attacks hit 12 regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people and wounding scores of others, including five children, Zelenskyy said on social media Thursday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

Brown would have to serve with Republican Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown in 2024 — and would likely become the leading tactician in charge of toppling the Democrat again in 2028.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
With homes nearly toppling into the ocean and back-to-back floods and hurricanes amplifying our sense of dread, keeping track of all things El Niño can be overwhelming.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of toppling

Verb

But there’s a difference between drinking before entering the ring once and corrupting bullfighting for years.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Pearce has stopped drinking alcohol and has turned her experience into an effort to support other breast cancer survivors.

— Melissa May, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026