DOWNING Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

downing

verb

present participle of down

as in dropping

to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall downed his opponent with one stunning blow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

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 downing The object of his attention is Alexander Isak, the striker who left Newcastle for Liverpool a year ago after downing tools and refusing to play and is now back on Tyneside for the first time. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Wind gusts reached speeds of up to 115 mph, downing palm trees and causing damage to boats and buildings. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026 Walter Johnson won his American League-record 15th straight game, downing Cleveland 4-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Tahj Washington made a special teams play, downing a Bradley Pinion punt at the 2-yard line. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 The powerful storm swept through Chicago late Tuesday morning, downing large trees, and produced a 99-mph wind gust in nearby Gary, Indiana. — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026 His penchant for downing bottles of wine throughout his life seemed reasonable. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026 In England, an 18-year-old woman suffered three cardiac arrests after downing 10 Jägerbombs, a cocktail that combines an energy drink with the spirit Jägermeister. — Ashley Okwuosa, STAT, 30 July 2026 The incident prompted Dee and Dennis to pay more attention to their health, but opted for a shortcut by downing supplements and expecting magic to happen. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downing

Verb

Ahmed, who was living in Dubai when the charges came down and was arrested last year in Serbia, was brought back to Chicago this week after dropping his extradition fight.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
To sweeten the deal, Best Buy has it for a jaw-dropping 48% off, saving you $620 for a limited time.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of dropping

Verb

Somewhere on a porch in rural Tennessee, the late Dolly Parton may have held up a dainty martini glass, sipping away as the orange sun set behind the Great Smokies.

— Angela George, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2026
This quiet, cozy season is ideal for wandering the Gaslight District’s 100-some shops and galleries and sipping through the Petoskey Wine Trail.

— Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sipping

Verb

William Roberson Anyone dismissing the Slingshot (in any form) on practicality grounds is missing the point by a light year or two - the Slingshot makes a Miata seem like a spacious minivan.

— William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.

— McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

Cook will be remembered for making the iPhone feel essential to everything from buying a coffee to listening to music, hitting the gym or paying a credit card bill.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Crow-Armstrong’s 38 blasts are tied with Kyle Schwarber (2019) for second-most by a left-handed-hitting Cub.

— Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Popular media and Southern folklore frequently claimed that kudzu was swallowing 150,000 new acres every year and had overtaken anywhere from 7 to 9 million acres across the region.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
The cause of the powerful torrents of floodwater that carved a devastating path through Nepal and Tibet — swallowing towns, roads and bridges — is not yet clear, but Nepal is a hotspot for climate disasters as the planet heats up.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of swallowing

Verb

The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.

— Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
On the last day of February, the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and attacking targets across the country.

— Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

And while some don’t want to wait that long to have the chance of toppling Infantino, the current FIFA boss does have some support swimming in the sea of objectors.

— Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
The vehicle even remained intact after toppling over, a feat none of its predecessors had pulled off.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026