downplay

verb

down·​play ˈdau̇n-ˌplā 

downplayed; downplaying; downplays

transitive verb

: play down, de-emphasize

Synonyms of downplay

• minimize
• dismiss
• soft-pedal

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

Duffy blamed Congress for failing to approve more funding for new technology, while downplaying the fact that trying to implement new fixes overtaxed the system. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 14 Nov. 2026

But on the other hand, DraftKings had been downplaying the significance of my story for weeks. — Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2026

Duffy was defensive, blaming Congress for failing to approve more funding for new technology, while downplaying the fact that trying to implement new fixes overtaxed the system. — ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026

She was nonetheless barred from re-entering Singapore after being found providing inaccurate information to downplay her role in Megaspeed. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for downplay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway