1
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
2
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
3
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
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down more than 60 drones after multiple waves of drones were launched towards the Russian capital starting Monday night.
—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
30 June 2026
Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said early on Tuesday that at least 61 Ukrainian drones had been shot down in the capital region overnight.
—
Kevin Shalvey,
ABC News,
30 June 2026
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian separatists with a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew members.
—
USA Today,
29 June 2026
As for ever returning to Los Angeles for production for his shows, Sheridan shot down the idea.
—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
30 June 2026
Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said early on Tuesday that at least 61 Ukrainian drones had been shot down in the capital region overnight.
—
Kevin Shalvey,
ABC News,
30 June 2026
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian separatists with a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew members.
—
USA Today,
29 June 2026
As for ever returning to Los Angeles for production for his shows, Sheridan shot down the idea.
—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
-
For example, 'Blazing Saddles' and 'All in the Family' confronted bigotry by ridiculing prejudice.
-
Multiple hospital stays became fodder for school bullies, who also ridiculed his size.
Verb
-
In April, the Superior Court dismissed the three citations Hubbard received in May 2025 when no park ranger or city attorney appeared for the prosecution, his lawsuit states.
-
Freeney did not dismiss the business side of the arrangement.
Verb
-
Four fisher people from Indonesia’s Pari Island filed a legal complaint in 2023 against the Swiss construction company Holcim, which refutes their assertion that its climate change-causing emissions threaten their homes and livelihoods.
-
Wainger also refuted the assertion that Pennel had expected to be arrested.
Verb
-
In the weeks leading up to the June 26 release of the film, men mocked 26-year-old Alcock’s appearance across social media.
-
Each sketch was packed with mocking details, such as long red ties, Big Macs and lots and lots of gold, to drive home her point.
Verb
-
Massive explosions lit up the night sky as ballistic missiles and drones hammered parts of the city, killing at least 14 people in the city and three others in the surrounding region, with dozens more wounded, city officials said.
-
Alicent and Helaena will be held prisoner until Aemond is found and killed.
Verb
-
Suggestions are floated and swiftly vetoed (Symi—too far, Spetses—too posh), and then inspiration strikes.
-
The housing bill, formally called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, can still become law if Trump neither signs it nor vetoes it in 10 days, excluding Sundays.
Verb
-
Hamas’ statement made no mention of disarmament, one of the key requirements under the second phase of the ceasefire deal, which the group has so far refused.
-
To conceal the theft from his investors, Correia refused to disclose his company’s financial records and gave false positive updates on SnoOwl’s status.
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.
-
The move is part of Moody’s broader revision of its outlook for private credit investment vehicles to negative.
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
