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
The bond market got to this mode of downplaying inflation and embracing a dovish Fed phase before the CPI hit.
—
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
McCormick, a physician, also downplayed the public health threat of eliminating vaccine mandates, saying people can protect themselves, and their kids at schools, by opting to get the inoculations themselves.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
But these remarks provoked a backlash online, with victims and experts accusing the president of downplaying domestic abuse.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Toni Collette, whose breakthrough role was the socially awkward title character in 1994’s Muriel’s Wedding, has never shied away from playing women who downplay their attractiveness.
—Gregg Kilday, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
McCormick, a physician, also downplayed the public health threat of eliminating vaccine mandates, saying people can protect themselves, and their kids at schools, by opting to get the inoculations themselves.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
But these remarks provoked a backlash online, with victims and experts accusing the president of downplaying domestic abuse.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Toni Collette, whose breakthrough role was the socially awkward title character in 1994’s Muriel’s Wedding, has never shied away from playing women who downplay their attractiveness.
—Gregg Kilday, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplay
Verb
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Shea butter and hyaluronic acid join coconut and Kalahari melon oils to add a surge of strand-softening hydration, minimizing shrinkage in the process.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Traders establish firm processes on when to buy and when to sell—supported with limit orders—to minimize emotional decision-making.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite lacking any legal education or experience, Routh dismissed his lawyers earlier this year and intends to defend himself at trial.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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When retail loses money, it’s often dismissed as inexperience.—
Anmol Verma,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 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
Cite this Entry
“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplay. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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