as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downplay
Trump has downplayed concerns about this week’s market volatility, at one point comparing the reaction to a patient who undergoes surgery.
—
Jesse Pound, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2025
Trump downplayed Loomer’s influence on the firings.
—Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
Even at 20%, however, some analysts are downplaying the potential boost to inflation.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2025
Rader downplayed the difference in numbers between his findings and the CDC data, emphasizing that, while accurate, the CDC data does not provide a complete picture — despite its best intentions.
—Shiv Sudhakar, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Jesse Pound, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2025
Trump downplayed Loomer’s influence on the firings.
—Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
Even at 20%, however, some analysts are downplaying the potential boost to inflation.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2025
Rader downplayed the difference in numbers between his findings and the CDC data, emphasizing that, while accurate, the CDC data does not provide a complete picture — despite its best intentions.
—Shiv Sudhakar, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplay
Verb
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South Korea’s acting President, Han Duck-soo, ordered emergency support measures for industries and businesses that will be impacted, including the automobile industry, ordering officials to actively negotiate with Washington to minimize the impact of additional levies.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2025
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This lack of focus on the female performers resulted in a match that failed to showcase their abilities and further reinforced the pattern of minimizing women's contributions at WrestleMania. 5.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Griffin launched a legal challenge and on April 4, a three-judge panel of the North Carolina court of appeals ruled 2-1 that the state's elections board erred in dismissing Griffin's protests about invalid election ballots.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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Stocks temporarily jumped on speculation of a possibly delay in the tariffs, but the White House later dismissed talk of a pause.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In 2024, Paul Weiss didn’t soft-pedal its liberal leanings.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2025
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Goldberg Tuesday scoffed at the denials and efforts to soft-pedal the extent and potential danger of the breach.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplay. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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