I came across the following passage in September 17 “The Hill.” under the headline, “Trump says Kavanaugh may be delayed.”:

“If it takes a little delay it’ll take a little delay.” Trump told reporters at the White House. "I’m sure it will work out very well.” Trump batted down a reporter who asked if Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.”

I took “bat down” as “snub” or “shut out,” and consulted online dictionaries to make it sure, and found none of them including Oxford, Cambridge, and Collins Cobuild listed “bat down,” though they list “beat down,” “pat down,” “sat down,” and you can name it.

An online English / French dictionary translates “bat down” as “dėmolir.”

Google N gram shows that the use of “bat down” started in mid 19 century. It soared up in mid 20 century, dropped once, and regaining currency since 1990s.

I wonder exact meaning of “bat down,” and why the phrase is not shown in major dictionaries.

P.S.

I'm surprised to