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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
Yet Trump has shown little interest in inflation and played down the rising energy costs caused by the war prompting Iran to effectively shutter the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.
—
Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
But, powered by veteran guard CJ McCollum and some gutsy defensive plays down the stretch, the Hawks won 107-106 to even the series at one game apiece.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Asked if City are underdogs, Guardiola played down the label.
—Reuters, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Trump later attempted to play down the comparison while refusing to apologize to the pope, but Catholic leaders nonetheless protested loudly against the post, which was later removed.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
But, powered by veteran guard CJ McCollum and some gutsy defensive plays down the stretch, the Hawks won 107-106 to even the series at one game apiece.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Asked if City are underdogs, Guardiola played down the label.
—Reuters, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Trump later attempted to play down the comparison while refusing to apologize to the pope, but Catholic leaders nonetheless protested loudly against the post, which was later removed.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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Then in September, Newsom's Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp sent an email to JUSD administrators on what appeared to include a copy of the state's motion to dismiss that lawsuit, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Curiel also declined to dismiss causes of action against three of the deputy’s supervisors, who are accused of knowing the female deputy failed to return to the scene and had dissuaded Quinones from providing assistance.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Until the time of surgery if it is warranted, sometimes using saline flushes or eye lubricants can minimize irritation of the eyes.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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Most of the time blueberries must be hand-picked, but machine harvestable blueberries can minimize labor costs for growers.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Giacomo, a 50-1 shot, wins the Kentucky Derby, running down a game Afleet Alex in the final strides and generating a huge payoff.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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This dress included floral embroidery around the collar, neckline, cuffs and running down the front placket of the design.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Many community leaders and local officials downplayed the impact of SB 79 on San Diego when it was approved last October because the city had already done significant upzoning near many of its trolley stops, especially in University City and Mission Valley.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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The AfD has become more radical since then, and some of its prominent members have openly used Nazi language and downplayed the Holocaust.—
Nick Tabor,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Fun new ways men can talk down to women.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
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Others described feeling they were being talked down to.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Verb
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This loud-and-proud version of Sonny certainly feels progressive, but in a different way it soft-pedals Sonny’s complications.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
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Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Successive presidential administrations have done little to diminish alcohol’s harms.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
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That evolution doesn’t diminish the importance of our core business.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Throwing the acceptance letter in the trash, Jackman wrote off the idea of being able to attend—but the very next day, a $3,500 check serendipitously came in the mail from his grandmother’s will.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
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What multiple doctors had written off as dry skin was, in fact, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that starts in white blood cells called T cells and primarily affects the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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