play down
verb
played down; playing down; plays down
: to attach little importance to : minimize
He humbly played down his role in the research.
Examples of play down in a Sentence
out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments
if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve
Recent Examples on the Web
Bench energizer Chendall Weaver, combo guard Simeon Wilcher and bruising forward Lassina Traore — the only three Longhorns who see regular minutes off the bench — each made crucial plays down the stretch as Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC) pulled away for a road win against one of its fiercest rivals.
—
Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Head coach Andree Jeglertz dutifully played down any talk of a title being won with eight matches to go.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
For all the desire to play down the symbolism, the occasion of Rushdie’s film debut has evoked something more…reflective.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary with the Department of Homeland Security, played down the injury and denied the allegations in statements to The Times this week.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
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Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Head coach Andree Jeglertz dutifully played down any talk of a title being won with eight matches to go.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
For all the desire to play down the symbolism, the occasion of Rushdie’s film debut has evoked something more…reflective.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary with the Department of Homeland Security, played down the injury and denied the allegations in statements to The Times this week.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20down. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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