I. transitive verb
: to bring down by shooting: as
a. : to kill or incapacitate with a shot ; especially : to kill (a person) by shooting mercilessly or in cold blood
warned that anyone who tried to escape would be shot down
shot him down without a qualm
b. : to cause (as an airplane) to fall to earth by shooting
four of our planes were shot down in flames
shot his first plane down at the age of eighteen
II. transitive verb
1. : to put an end to : make ineffective or void : defeat
2. : deflate : ridicule ; also : reprove
3. : to expose weakness or inaccuracy in : discredit
shoot down a theory