TAKING DOWN Synonyms: 150 Similar and Opposite Words

taking down

verb

present participle of take down

as in humiliating

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes there's no need to take us down by making fun of our clothes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in knocking down

to take apart electricians will take down all the lights for the set after the play has finished its run

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in recording

to make a written note of took down the customer's contact information

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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 taking down The hardest physical part was actually taking down the old blinds, which had been screwed tightly into the window frame years prior. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Rather than taking down individual videos, the company has largely focused on accounts that post AI slop at scale, attempting to trick users and harvest cheap views for ad revenue. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Crews began taking down the remainder of the building Tuesday night, to prevent sections from falling onto power lines, the station said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026 Billie’s obsession with taking down Priscilla constantly puts her team in peril, because being so laser-focused on one thing clouds the bigger picture. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 July 2026 Worlds of Fun visitors posted photos on Facebook on June 30 of a construction crew taking down the Cosmic Coaster. — Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 Following his arrest, Vance and his co-conspirators destroyed evidence by deleting phone messages and taking down the two websites, the plea agreement says. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 The ensuing public backlash led the Senate on Wednesday to unanimously agree with a measure that would block the government from taking down the OOI. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026 The board authorized the change to the uniform 80 mph speed limit in a 3-2 vote, directing ITD staff to begin taking down the truck speed limit signs. — Rose Evans updated June 18, Idaho Statesman, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking down

Verb

The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026

Definition of humiliating

Verb

In addition to Goodson, the highlights for the Falcons on Wednesday included a long and leaping touchdown catch by Drake London, Zachariah Branch lowering his shoulder and knocking down a Colts defender and an improved run defense.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
For many observers of American politics, the past few years have been disillusioning, knocking down hopeful beliefs about what the people of the United States will support or tolerate.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of knocking down

Verb

The release of his diaries though, revealed some thoroughly discrediting and upsetting details about Fauci's private beliefs.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of discrediting

Verb

College students should not have to worry about their parents embarrassing them to an audience of thousands.

— Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Many of the voters of the other political parties have been lending him their support, partly in the hope of embarrassing Farage.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of embarrassing

Verb

One key indicator of soil health is decomposition rates of complex organic matter, breaking down stuff like leaves, wood, even cadavers into simpler organic and inorganic compounds, releasing C02 and nutrients in the process.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
More consequentially for textile recycling, the researchers demonstrated the process on both PET/cotton and PET/spandex fabrics without similarly breaking down the companion fibers.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026