downplay

verb

down·​play ˈdau̇n-ˌplā How to pronounce downplay (audio)
downplayed; downplaying; downplays

Examples of downplay in a Sentence

Athletes often downplay their injuries. he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The senior State Department official downplayed the study. Chris Boccia, ABC News, 13 July 2025 The man who has turned Paris Saint-Germain from an excellent side to the best club soccer team on the planet has even downplayed his role with the FIFA Club World Cup final against Chelsea at MetLife Stadium looming on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Following the release of the short DOJ memo, Trump appeared earlier this week to downplay the controversy when asked by a reporter about Epstein during a press gaggle, which some supporters have described as a 180-degree turn from his base’s priorities and concerns. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2025 All models have more capacity than their respective predecessors, though Samsung is downplaying the extra juice, saying it’ll mostly be used to maintain a consistent battery life result by powering the extra features offered in this generation. PC Magazine, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for downplay

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downplay was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downplay. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on downplay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!