play down
verb
played down; playing down; plays down
: to attach little importance to : minimize
He humbly played down his role in the research.
Examples of play down in a Sentence
out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments
if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve
Recent Examples on the Web
Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister Mohammed Aljadaan has played down concerns over Saudi Arabia’s growing debt pile (albeit a relatively low one of 32% of GDP) and deficit.
—
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
Freeman played down the epic nature of his homer to seal a game that officially lasted six hours and 39 minutes.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 28 Oct. 2025
What Happens Next Solovyov’s comments do not necessarily reflect the Kremlin’s position, and Putin has tried to play down the economic effects of the oil sanctions.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.
—Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
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Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
Freeman played down the epic nature of his homer to seal a game that officially lasted six hours and 39 minutes.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 28 Oct. 2025
What Happens Next Solovyov’s comments do not necessarily reflect the Kremlin’s position, and Putin has tried to play down the economic effects of the oil sanctions.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.
—Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20down. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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