: 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 WebAmy Morin, Parents, 3 July 2024
Jerry Seinfeld is working through his range of heckler put-downs after he was interrupted once more during his stand-up show in Australia on Saturday evening.
—Caroline Frost, Deadline, 23 June 2024
Ricky Carioti, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
Now, collectors are putting down holds and dealers are selling unevenly through the weekend.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for put-down 
Noun
Do not hurt anyone’s body (no hitting, pushing, or kicking).
Do not hurt anyone’s feelings (no yelling, put-downs, or name-calling).
—Amy Morin, Parents, 3 July 2024
Jerry Seinfeld is working through his range of heckler put-downs after he was interrupted once more during his stand-up show in Australia on Saturday evening.
—Caroline Frost, Deadline, 23 June 2024
Verb
One of these layers dates back to the early 1920s — four decades after the church was first built — followed by another put down in 1958.
—Ricky Carioti, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
Now, collectors are putting down holds and dealers are selling unevenly through the weekend.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for put-down
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'put-down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 15 Jul. 2024.
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