1
as in slaughtering
to kill on a large scale
machine guns mowed down the advancing troops without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in downing
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the crowd rushing in for the sale mowed down the poor clerks standing at the front entrance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mowing (down)
Verb
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She was convicted and fined five times in French courts of inciting racial hatred, in incidents inspired by her opposition to the Muslim practice of slaughtering sheep during annual religious holidays.—
CBS News, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
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The pearl-clutchers are stuck in the past, blubbering over things like the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War or the Waffen-SS slaughtering 84 American soldiers captured in Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge.—
Verb
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The Patriots have won all of those playoff appearances, downing the Chargers in the AFC Divisional Round in 2007 and 2019, while beating the Chargers in the AFC Championship in 2008.—
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Cathedral Catholic Girls soccer Collecting two goals and two assists while playing smothering defense, the senior led the Dons to a 2-0-1 record in the Excalibur Tournament, downing Huntington Beach Edison 1-0 in the finale.—
Verb
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The Packers finished a season that began with Super Bowl hopes by dropping five in a row.—
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The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll midseason after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Chicago Bears, a game in which rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart sustained a concussion, dropping them to 2-8.—
Verb
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Again, the bots were not always gainly—one viral video showed a humanoid veering off a running track and knocking over a human spectator—but the atmosphere was one of dynamism and experimentation.—
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Surveillance video shows a man, alleged to be Eichorst, knocking over and damaging the menorah, causing about $500 in damage.—
Verb
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South San Joaquin County Fire Authority However, after knocking down the flames, fire officials say crews found a person dead inside the shop.—
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Luka Dončić had his way against the Hornets’ defense throughout the night, knocking down five 3-pointers in a 38-point performance.—
Verb
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The 49ers went three and out on their next two possessions and were unsuccessful on throws outside the numbers after hitting the middle of the field with three completions on the scoring drive.—
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After hitting just 4 of 30 threes against the Pacers, Miami opened 4 for 4 from distance, shot 8 for 16 on threes in the first half and finished 17 for 32.—
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Cite this Entry
“Mowing (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mowing%20%28down%29. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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