shoot something down

shoot something down
shoot something down
Fig. to foil a plan through criticism; to counter an idea with criticism. (Based on shoot someone, something, or an animal down.) •

He raised a good point, but the others shot him down almost immediately.

Liz shot down Jeff 's best idea.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • shoot something down in flames — shoot (something/someone) down in flames informal to strongly criticize an idea or plan, or to refuse to accept it. Several months ago this highly impractical idea would have been shot down in flames. I thought I d made a sensible suggestion, but …   New idioms dictionary

  • shoot something down — …   Useful english dictionary

  • shoot someone down in flames — shoot (something/someone) down in flames informal to strongly criticize an idea or plan, or to refuse to accept it. Several months ago this highly impractical idea would have been shot down in flames. I thought I d made a sensible suggestion, but …   New idioms dictionary

  • shoot someone or something down — tv. o ruin someone or something; to debunk someone or something. (See also shot down.) □ Just as I was making the final point, she shot me down with a simple fact I should have remembered. CD The boss shot down my plan immediately …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • shoot someone/something down — kill or wound someone by shooting them, esp. in a ruthless way troops shot down 28 demonstrators ■ bring down an aircraft, missile, or pilot by shooting at it ■ figurative crush someone or their opinions by forceful criticism or argument she… …   Useful english dictionary

  • shoot down — verb 1. move quickly and violently (Freq. 1) The car tore down the street He came charging into my office • Syn: ↑tear, ↑shoot, ↑charge, ↑buck • See Also: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • shoot — shoot1 [ ʃut ] (past tense and past participle shot [ ʃat ] ) verb *** ▸ 1 fire gun ▸ 2 in sports ▸ 3 move suddenly & quickly ▸ 4 take photographs etc. ▸ 5 put drug in body ▸ + PHRASES 1. ) intransitive or transitive to fire a gun: We were… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • shoot down — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms shoot down : present tense I/you/we/they shoot down he/she/it shoots down present participle shooting down past tense shot down past participle shot down 1) a) to kill someone with a gun He had been walking… …   English dictionary

  • shoot — [ʆuːt] verb shot PTandPP [ʆɒt ǁ ʆɑːt] [intransitive] to quickly increase in number or amount: shoot above/​from/​to • Oil prices shot above $40 a barrel. • The monthly interest rate shot to 10% in January. shoot ahead phrasa …   Financial and business terms

  • shoot down (something) — 1. to destroy an aircraft or weapon in the sky by shooting it. In the movie, he pulls out a portable rocket launcher and shoots down the helicopter. If we detect an incoming missile, we must be able to shoot it down. 2. to refuse to accept… …   New idioms dictionary

  • shoot down in flames — shoot (something/someone) down in flames informal to strongly criticize an idea or plan, or to refuse to accept it. Several months ago this highly impractical idea would have been shot down in flames. I thought I d made a sensible suggestion, but …   New idioms dictionary

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