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
During its most recent earnings call, Intel appeared to play down hopes of winning major external customers for its 18A process - its most advanced manufacturing tech to date - with the leadership noting that 18A will primarily be used for internal products to begin with.
—
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The leak prompted a rare public statement on the issue from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who played down the impact of the controversy on bilateral relations while pledging to continue the projects.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The writers and creators tried to play down that side and ramp up Lucy’s sense of agency.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
Adrian Mannarino of France plays down at 8.6 kg (19 lbs) on occasion, which is like playing with a trampoline.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The leak prompted a rare public statement on the issue from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who played down the impact of the controversy on bilateral relations while pledging to continue the projects.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The writers and creators tried to play down that side and ramp up Lucy’s sense of agency.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
Adrian Mannarino of France plays down at 8.6 kg (19 lbs) on occasion, which is like playing with a trampoline.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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Boston Magazine reported that during her training she was ultimately dismissed for administering opiates without a doctor’s order and leaving her shift early.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Michaels has found herself at the center of multiple lawsuits over the years for her endorsement of various supplements, though all the cases were dismissed.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Comfort: cycling infrastructure should allow for comfortable maneuvering and minimize the use of (precious) human energy.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Many native grasses and wildflowers have extensive root systems that grow deep and wide, helping minimize runoff and prevent erosion.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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So instead of one long conveyor, there will be three sub-assemblies that run down their own lines simultaneously and then join together.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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There's a channel that runs down the bottom of the down tube that the cables sit in, held in place by a plastic cover that's screwed onto the frame.—
JOHN TIMMER,
ArsTechnica,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Just days before three Republican governors deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., Gov. Mike Kehoe downplayed the possibility of Missouri joining President Donald Trump’s sweeping anti-crime crackdown in the nation’s capital.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
18 Aug. 2025
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In response, Trump and the White House started downplaying Friday’s summit, Trump and Putin’s first of Trump’s second administration, as an opportunity for Trump to ascertain whether peace between Russia and Ukraine is even possible, as opposed to negotiating a deal.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
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The two biggest economies just punted trade deal talks down the road — again.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects.—
Alex Ward,
Boston Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
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This soft-pedalling impulse is evident in the revival’s treatment of Hank’s next-door neighbor Dale, a conspiracy nut who blames the U.N., the U.S. military, and the Cuban government for life’s inconveniences.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The transit systems that give independence to hundreds of thousands of people living with disabilities will be severely diminished.—
Karen Tamley,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
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Rather than diminishing us, this should decentralize our ego.—
Dax Grant,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To complicate things further, because many of these compliance costs can be written off as R&D or administrative overhead, their true cost can be difficult to trace.—
Achal Singi,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The Help Independent Tracks Succeed Act, or HITS Act, lets singer-songwriters and recording producers write off $150,000 in music production expenses in the year they're incurred, but IRC Section 181 is set to expire at the end of 2025.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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