as in to simplify
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Recent Examples of dumb down
State and local leaders should also roll back any guidance that is meant to force teachers to dumb down curriculums or provide passing grades to students who are failing or inflate grades across the board.
—
Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
The new console could certainly handle it, even if developers had to dumb down the graphics a smidge.
—Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Why dumb down what was once a sophisticated and nuanced show?
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
Build authentic LinkedIn content: skip the AI shortcuts Don't let AI dumb down your message.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Why dumb down what was once a sophisticated and nuanced show?
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
The president-elect tends to avoid details—during his first term, aides learned to dumb down their presentations with bullet points.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Where there other ideas about how to dumb down Sage?
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 June 2024
Business Column: Red-state efforts to dumb down their universities will provoke a brain drain
May 2, 2023
GOP legislators in Wisconsin held hostage $800 million in funding for the state university and blocked all staff pay raises unless the university cut back DEI programs.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024
Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
The new console could certainly handle it, even if developers had to dumb down the graphics a smidge.
—Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Why dumb down what was once a sophisticated and nuanced show?
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
Build authentic LinkedIn content: skip the AI shortcuts Don't let AI dumb down your message.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Why dumb down what was once a sophisticated and nuanced show?
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
The president-elect tends to avoid details—during his first term, aides learned to dumb down their presentations with bullet points.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Where there other ideas about how to dumb down Sage?
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 June 2024
Business Column: Red-state efforts to dumb down their universities will provoke a brain drain
May 2, 2023
GOP legislators in Wisconsin held hostage $800 million in funding for the state university and blocked all staff pay raises unless the university cut back DEI programs.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumb down
Verb
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In December 2020, Congress passed a law to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a form that most students must fill out each year to get financial aid.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
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The World’s Largest Naked Event In 2006, there was a shift towards simplifying the message and focusing on cycling advocacy.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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How to Find Your Values This is oversimplifying things a bit.—
Harmon Kong,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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Crediting a single family with the invention of the genre oversimplifies country music's complex history and disregards the contributions of multiple ethnic groups.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
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For sellers, this streamlines the work of creating listings.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
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In addition, both the Congress and the Administration have been rapidly ordering changes to streamline the requirements, budget and acquisition processes that underlie the historically long timeframes to deliver new warfighter capabilities.—
Michael Brown,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dumb down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumb%20down. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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