: an act or instance of putting down
especially
: a humiliating remark
put down; putting down; puts down
1
: to bring to an end : stop
put down a riot
2
3
: to make ineffective : check
put down the gossip
4
: to do away with (an injured, sick, or aged animal) : destroy
5
a
: to put in writing
b
: to enter in a list
6
a
: to place in a category
I put him down as a hypochondriac—
O. S. J. Gogarty
O. S. J. Gogarty
b
: attribute
put it down to inexperience
7
: to pack or preserve for future use
8
: consume
putting down helping after helping—Carson McCullers
Carson McCullersSynonyms
Examples of put-down in a Sentence
Noun
new hires always have to deal with put-downs and practical jokes from the older employees
your never-ending put-down of my musical talents is really starting to annoy me
Verb
he has the annoying habit of putting down others under the guise of offering constructive criticism
we had the whole agreement put down on paper
Recent Examples on the Web
Armond White, National Review, 1 Jan. 2025
This sneering put-down is even more bizarre than the swipe at Carter’s phantom operatic output.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Deciding how much to put down will come down to your own personal budget.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for put-down 
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Noun
Caustic put-downs of Milton Berle, Jim Henson, and Johnny Carson anticipate the partisan snark by which SNL would pillory Millennial conservatives as non-hip — the antiquated value that has bankrupt stand-up comedy today.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Jan. 2025
This sneering put-down is even more bizarre than the swipe at Carter’s phantom operatic output.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
Though the storm largely subsided by Tuesday morning, another weather system forecast is expected to spread a wintry mess from Texas to the East Coast later this week, which means people likely won't be able to put down the shovels anytime soon.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Deciding how much to put down will come down to your own personal budget.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for put-down
Dictionary Entries Near put-down
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put-down. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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