Synonyms
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
Both made big plays down the stretch, but Portland held on to beat Charlotte, 89-86.
—
Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
Art Basel has played down concerns about free expression.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 30 Mar. 2024
One play after Patrick Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman on a 52-yard play down to the 49ers' 9-yard line, Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco lost the football.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
Yet Sacramento hasn’t kicked the season-long trend of playing down to the competition.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2024
Bayern and Kimmich have since tried to play down the incident.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
That means other role players, such as senior guards Emerson Stark and Foster Scheid, must elevate their play down the stretch.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 2 Feb. 2024
Guys have been making plays down there, finding ways to get into the end zone.
—Steve Megargee, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
Fellow sophomore Parris Lee had 10 of his 20 points in that eight-minute stretch, later adding a treasure trove of impactful defensive plays down the stretch.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2024
Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
Art Basel has played down concerns about free expression.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 30 Mar. 2024
One play after Patrick Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman on a 52-yard play down to the 49ers' 9-yard line, Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco lost the football.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
Yet Sacramento hasn’t kicked the season-long trend of playing down to the competition.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2024
Bayern and Kimmich have since tried to play down the incident.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
That means other role players, such as senior guards Emerson Stark and Foster Scheid, must elevate their play down the stretch.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 2 Feb. 2024
Guys have been making plays down there, finding ways to get into the end zone.
—Steve Megargee, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
Fellow sophomore Parris Lee had 10 of his 20 points in that eight-minute stretch, later adding a treasure trove of impactful defensive plays down the stretch.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1930, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near play down
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20down. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
play down
verb
: to attach little importance to : minimize
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