pooh-pooh

verb

variants also pooh
Definition of pooh-poohnext
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.

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-pooh
  1. dismiss
  2. reject
  3. ignore
Verb
  • Some loved the medical thriller aspects and quick pacing, while others dismissed it as shallow and improbable.
    — Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
  • In January 2025, a federal judge dismissed the case in its entirety and the family is now appealing the decision.
    — Iris Carreras, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of reject
Verb
  • While Trump might be tempted therefore to simply ignore those critics, the Yemen crisis is a golden opportunity for his administration to advance and strengthen an important ...
    — Julian Ku, National Review, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Yet there’s no ignoring the fact that the Rockies would’ve loved to have Brito penciled in as their second baseman this year.
    — Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of ignore

Browse Nearby Words

pooh-bahs
pooh-pooh
pooh-poohed
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Cite this Entry

“Pooh-pooh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-pooh. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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