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
Trump later attempted to play down the comparison while refusing to apologize to the pope, but Catholic leaders nonetheless protested loudly against the post, which was later removed.
—
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
For now, the government is seeking to play down immediate risks.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
Barrasso said the Senate plans to coordinate closely with the House and played down the divides.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
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.
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
For now, the government is seeking to play down immediate risks.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
Barrasso said the Senate plans to coordinate closely with the House and played down the divides.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Apr. 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 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
