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
Valanciunas is slow-footed and plays down the floor in pick-and-roll coverage, leaving the Nuggets more vulnerable to pick-and-pop bigs and other ripple effects of their help rotations around the floor.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Kifowit has played down the urgency of modernizing the comptroller’s office, saying improvements are already underway.
—Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The 2023 Open was played down Highway 1 at Pebble Beach.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.
—Apress, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Kifowit has played down the urgency of modernizing the comptroller’s office, saying improvements are already underway.
—Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The 2023 Open was played down Highway 1 at Pebble Beach.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.
—Apress, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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Authorities had since dismissed her lawyers’ requests to send her to a hospital for urgent treatment.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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There is a long history of women's pain being dismissed by doctors, incorrectly categorized as period pain or rooted in psychological distress.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is a commitment to that philosophy, even as there is a determination to minimize bad outcomes as much as is humanly possible.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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By generating electricity from fuel during flight and switching to a quieter electric mode when required, the system allows smaller drones to extend their operational range while minimizing noise and thermal signatures.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the process, water would run down through some other plants on Barnhorst’s property.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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The verbal altercation continued as both players ran down the court following the free throw.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In France, following the G7 meeting on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the cooperation between Iran and Russia.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Saylor, the co-founder and executive chairman of the company, downplayed the concentration risk, saying overall liquidity and decentralization limit the impact of any single holder.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Michael Brown, senior research strategist at Pepperstone, pointed out that Trump’s attempts to talk down the market now have diminishing returns, with investors demanding actual evidence of concrete steps toward de-escalation.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 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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Together, the potential departures of two of Kansas City’s most experienced lawmakers — one on his own terms, one forced — could play a role in shaping the city’s future and diminish its ability to secure local priorities at the federal level.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Be cautious — but don’t write off rattlesnakes as vicious, the experts say.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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As for Pat Riley, that judgement will come soon enough if the approach is to write off the season because of the injuries and absences.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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