variants
also pooh
as in to dismiss
informal
to think or say that (something) is not very good or not true
They pooh-poohed my suggestion. He pooh-poohed the idea that the house was haunted.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pooh-pooh
But weather forecasters typically pooh-pooh their predictions.
—
Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings.
—Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010
Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings.
—Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010
Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-pooh
Verb
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Mearsheimer also dismissed the idea, adding that Russia would take extreme measures to prevent it from happening.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
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Some loved the medical thriller aspects and quick pacing, while others dismissed it as shallow and improbable.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Supreme Court Justice Roberts rejects Trump’s call for impeaching a judge who ruled against his deportation plans.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
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Gaga rejects a string of Latin suitors — Alejandro, Fernando, Roberto — via melodies that evoke ABBA and Madonna, over a thumping beat, like Ace of Base gone EDM.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The trolls ignore Reed’s efforts to offer the estate a platform to rebut Robson and Safechuck’s allegations.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2025
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The Israeli prime minister ignores the views of the majority of his people.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-pooh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-pooh. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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