variants
also pooh
as in to dismiss
informal
to think or say that (something) is not very good or not true
They pooh-poohed my suggestion. He pooh-poohed the idea that the house was haunted.
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Recent Examples of pooh-pooh
LaRoche tried to pooh-pooh the notion, and certainly did not wish Agent McGee to alarm his wife.
—
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 Apr. 2025
But weather forecasters typically pooh-pooh their predictions.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
But weather forecasters typically pooh-pooh their predictions.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings.
—Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010
Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 Apr. 2025
But weather forecasters typically pooh-pooh their predictions.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
But weather forecasters typically pooh-pooh their predictions.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings.
—Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010
Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-pooh
Verb
-
The felony charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can't be refiled.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
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In previous cycles, price booms were often dismissed as driven by hype, memes, and momentum.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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If anyone else tries such commands, the AGI and ASI reject them summarily.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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New York’s 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Maxwell’s appeal effort last year, finding that the deal drawn up in 2007 and approved the following year only protected Epstein and his coconspirators in South Florida.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Similarly, while some food stamp provisions remain, the narrative ignores the potential for reduced access for others, including children and pregnant women, under changes to eligibility.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 July 2025
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Having said that, beachgoers have already been ignoring signs and fencing to get to the beach, especially on weekends.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-pooh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-pooh. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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