1
as in dropping
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
downed his opponent with one stunning blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of downing
While the 9-9-9 Challenge has fans downing nine hot dogs and nine beers in nine innings, the Flyers kicked off their home postseason slate with the Philly Hat Trick Challenge.
—
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
These winds will be capable of snapping tree branches and downing power lines.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Severe storms Monday damaged communities across the Plains and Midwest, with tornadoes reported in Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin destroying homes, downing power lines and leaving over 25,000 without power in Wisconsin.
—Nick Ingram, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
After downing the Cavaliers 124-102 on Friday night at State Farm Arena, the Hawks will bypass the Play-In Tournament for the first time since 2021.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Winds exceeding 50 mph can cause major damage, downing trees and power lines, and sending debris flying dangerously.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
Russia's defense ministry reported downing 7,347 Ukrainian drones during March, the highest monthly total ever reported by Moscow and an average of 237 craft each day.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Some of its members have rallied under the screwy rap banner Chugg, which came from affiliates Cash300 and Onemillionkisses’ birthdays in 2023, when the crew was watching the YouTuber BadlandsChugs, who won a Guinness World Record for downing a liter of Mountain Dew in six seconds.
—Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
And not just from downing nootropic stacks and Chinese peptides, the latest tech-world fad drugs.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
These winds will be capable of snapping tree branches and downing power lines.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Severe storms Monday damaged communities across the Plains and Midwest, with tornadoes reported in Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin destroying homes, downing power lines and leaving over 25,000 without power in Wisconsin.
—Nick Ingram, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
After downing the Cavaliers 124-102 on Friday night at State Farm Arena, the Hawks will bypass the Play-In Tournament for the first time since 2021.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Winds exceeding 50 mph can cause major damage, downing trees and power lines, and sending debris flying dangerously.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
Russia's defense ministry reported downing 7,347 Ukrainian drones during March, the highest monthly total ever reported by Moscow and an average of 237 craft each day.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Some of its members have rallied under the screwy rap banner Chugg, which came from affiliates Cash300 and Onemillionkisses’ birthdays in 2023, when the crew was watching the YouTuber BadlandsChugs, who won a Guinness World Record for downing a liter of Mountain Dew in six seconds.
—Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
And not just from downing nootropic stacks and Chinese peptides, the latest tech-world fad drugs.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing
Verb
-
The rookie managed just 10 points after dropping 30 with 10 rebounds in Tuesday night’s 111-97 Philly win at TD Garden.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
-
At the end of regret-flow plotlines, husbands tend to beg their wives for forgiveness by dropping to their knees.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Because the hotel sits right at the heart of La Jolla’s center of gravity, locals can always be counted on for brunch in The Mediterranean room on weekends or sipping cocktails at La Sala or The Whalers Bar on a Friday or Saturday night.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
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Traore mimics sipping tea out of a tea-cup after TDs in honor of his England roots.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Federal lawyers said judges made mistakes in dismissing the cases by arguing the Civil Rights Act granted the attorney general access to local voting records.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Quit dismissing them as uneducated.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That passion to play every moment to the hilt, along with her powerful hitting stroke, that came with being a coach’s daughter.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
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Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Almost fittingly, when Shula died at age 90 on May 20, 2020, Covid had just started to rage, the budding pandemic swallowing everything.—
Greg Cote
April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
His older son has an immune disease called eosinophilic esophagitis, where white blood cells gather in the esophagus and cause issues with swallowing and breathing.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Moscow pummeled the central city of Dnipro and other areas for more than twenty hours with barrages of missiles and drones, killing at least seven people.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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The coastal Georgia man arrested in 2018 and accused of torturing, killing and burying his two teenage children in the backyard of the family’s mobile home will spend the rest of his life behind bars after reaching a plea deal.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Coach Scott Bemand turned his attention to toppling France in France for the first time next Saturday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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The results showed that seventy-nine percent support some form of intervention, with some favoring toppling the regime and others wanting to deal with the humanitarian crisis, highlighting a range of priorities within the community.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As a whole, Gen Z is drinking less than previous generations.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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Other ways to keep your blood sugar in check include walking after meals, drinking more water, and practicing strength training.—
Cynthia Sass,
Health,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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