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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Good gaming features and simplified Google TV streaming round things out for a sweet package.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
8 July 2025
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His left-handed power swing has been simplified and tightened.—
Brittany Ghiroli,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
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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
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But swing too far in the other direction and oversimplify it, ignore realism…then the result can feel hollow and even cartoonish.—
Kanzah Maktoum,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Verb
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On the city level, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive order in May aimed at streamlining bureaucratic red tape around local production while City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian is currently researching potential permitting reforms.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
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Automate severance processes: AI tools have long been capable of streamlining a variety of administrative tasks.—
C200,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dumb down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumb%20down. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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