: an instance or gesture of rejection, disapproval, or condemnation

Examples of thumbs-down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
According to February Gallup polling, 42 percent of Americans are giving a thumbs-up to Trump’s economic stewardship while 54 percent are giving him a thumbs-down. Approval of Trump’s handling of the economy also fell to 39 percent from 43 percent in polling released last week by Reuters/Ipsos. Tobias Burns, The Hill, 1 Mar. 2025 From thumbs-up to thumbs-downs, here’s how critics are reacting. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024 That drew extended cheers while people in the crowd made thumbs-down gestures to signify McCain’s opposition to the GOP effort to repeal it. Will Weissert, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024 In late August, Lindor and good friend Javier Baez, whom the Mets acquired weeks earlier from the Chicago Cubs, began flashing a thumbs-down sign upon getting base hits in response to fans who booed the team throughout a disappointing season. Jerry Beach, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Is there any gesture in our visual vernacular more visceral than a thumbs-down? Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2024 Separately, content pages will now have thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons to help personalize the company’s algorithms to your own taste. Chris Welch, The Verge, 24 Sep. 2024 Pusha has a slick line about the Brittney Griner prisoner swap, and a humorous thumbs-down to D-list reality stars that lands in characteristically callous fashion. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2024 Here's one: Republican efforts to repeal the landmark Affordable Care Act were vanquished in 2017 when GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, at a suspenseful final moment, gave a thumbs-down vote against his party. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thumbs-down was in 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Thumbs-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thumbs-down. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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