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
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
Mitchell credited Lauralton Hall for its play down the stretch and said the absence of Kylee Muse, a senior post player, was not an excuse for the loss.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
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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
Mitchell credited Lauralton Hall for its play down the stretch and said the absence of Kylee Muse, a senior post player, was not an excuse for the loss.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 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 23 Mar. 2026.
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