1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
Trump played down any environmental concerns Monday.
—
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Yoon again played down his martial law declaration, which shocked the country and plunged the industrial powerhouse and a powerful example of democratic resilience into a constitutional crisis that also saw the prime minister being impeached.
—Reuters, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025
After the inaugural address, Trump played down the importance of inflation in the 2024 election, suggesting in remarks at the Capitol that his voters cared more about immigration because there were only so many ways to talk about prices.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Mr. Rubio, however, Mr. Mulino repeatedly played down the risk that Mr. Trump might seize the canal, by force or otherwise.
—Michael Crowley, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Yoon again played down his martial law declaration, which shocked the country and plunged the industrial powerhouse and a powerful example of democratic resilience into a constitutional crisis that also saw the prime minister being impeached.
—Reuters, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025
After the inaugural address, Trump played down the importance of inflation in the 2024 election, suggesting in remarks at the Capitol that his voters cared more about immigration because there were only so many ways to talk about prices.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Mr. Rubio, however, Mr. Mulino repeatedly played down the risk that Mr. Trump might seize the canal, by force or otherwise.
—Michael Crowley, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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Sassoon’s resignation was followed by additional resignations and firings of other Justice Department lawyers who also refused to assist in dismissing the indictment.—
Nick Akerman,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2025
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But in dismissing the lawsuit to arbitration last December, Clarke wasn’t moved by the Knicks’ arguments.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There are even silicone dots on the top of the cups to further aid in the no-slip department, plus help minimize any gaping issues.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
25 Feb. 2025
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Address potential conflicts during the drafting phase to minimize disruptions later.—
Zekeriya Polat,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The caskets were displayed in front of a large banner that showed a caricature replicating antisemitic tropes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with vampiric teeth and blood running down his face.—
Astha Rajvanshi,
NBC News,
20 Feb. 2025
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The dress featured long sleeves with buttons running down the front placket off the side.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Fahmy, like the security experts who spoke with CNN, downplayed the real-life impact of the media chatter about an impending war, but all were worried by its growing intensity.—
Sarah El Sirgany,
CNN,
3 Mar. 2025
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That is not to say that Koepka downplays the importance of the mental toughness required to win a major.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But Jones has talked down a possible bout with Aspinall and suggested that a battle with current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira made more sense to him.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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The lack of Blues Brothers co-creator Aykroyd meant no Jimmy Carter talking down a guy peaking on LSD.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Jean-Baptiste, her mouth set in a tight-lipped frown, her eyes ablaze with fear and loathing, soft-pedals nothing.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2025
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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
Verb
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The absence of Ayo Dosunmu — who is dealing with shoulder discomfort from a long-term injury — further diminished the Bulls roster.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
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Suitable for all skin types, the face oil hydrates while improving elasticity and diminishing the appearance of fine lines.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Michael Sheen has written off £1 million ($1.29 million) of debt for 900 people using £100,000 ($129,000) of his own money.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Mar. 2025
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The tech giant paid $7.2 billion to acquire Nokia's devices and services businesses and license its patents and mapping, but wrote off a loss of $7.6 billion in its mobile division less than two years later.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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