talk down
verb
talked down; talking down; talks down
: to speak in a condescending or oversimplified fashion
: to disparage or belittle by talking
Synonyms
Examples of talk down in a Sentence
a company that prefers to talk up its own products rather than talk down those of its competitors
Recent Examples on the Web
Does your party have a disdain problem in talking down to working class voters in particular?
—
CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024
Gargoyles Few cartoons are as recognized for their mature storytelling as Gargoyles, a prime example of not talking down to a young audience.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024
He was talked down and arrested about 4:15 a.m., Rulon said.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for talk down 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024
Gargoyles Few cartoons are as recognized for their mature storytelling as Gargoyles, a prime example of not talking down to a young audience.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024
He was talked down and arrested about 4:15 a.m., Rulon said.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for talk down
Dictionary Entries Near talk down
Cite this Entry
“Talk down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talk%20down. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share