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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Recent Examples of downplay
All those who downplay General John Kelly’s revelations and even attack Trump’s former chief of staff for noting the ex-president’s fascist beliefs are also, in their way, bowing to the ugliest currents in our political culture.
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Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 1 Nov. 2024
As a senior member of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, Stefanik has worried that the Biden administration’s FBI is downplaying Iran’s move to hack former President Donald Trump due to political bias.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024
Iran initially downplayed Saturday's attack, acknowledging only that four soldiers were killed.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis downplayed the significance of that streak.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downplay 
Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 1 Nov. 2024
As a senior member of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, Stefanik has worried that the Biden administration’s FBI is downplaying Iran’s move to hack former President Donald Trump due to political bias.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024
Iran initially downplayed Saturday's attack, acknowledging only that four soldiers were killed.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis downplayed the significance of that streak.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplay
Verb
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In contrast, the single-bore method minimizes street-level disruption.Dan Phan, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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This method, which is based on the idea of moving to where the hottest deer sign and action can be found, is used by many hunters who decide to minimize their hunting gear footprint and overall carry weight.Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Some critics of President Biden may dismiss his recent apology of the federal Indian boarding schools as a strategy to win votes in what was a tight presidential election race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
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But other Republicans push back on the criticism of Selzer, saying the campaign should not outright dismiss the poll’s findings.Julia Manchester, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The movie One of the darkest true stories on this list, An American Crime never undersells or soft-pedals the ceaseless agony of Likens’ ordeal.Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
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Popular on Variety Navarro doesn’t soft-pedal her disdain for recent remarks former President Donald Trump has made about immigrants eating dogs and cats — just one of the hot topics Phillip and a shifting ensemble of pundits, reporters and experts tackle each weeknight.Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplay. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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