play down

verb

played down; playing down; plays down

transitive verb

: to attach little importance to : minimize

He humbly played down his role in the research.

Synonyms of play down

• dismiss
• minimize
• run down
• talk down
• diminish
• dump on
• write off

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

But Smith is the type of player that always seems to execute when the pressure mounts, and his clutch play down the stretch could be the difference in the Sweet 16. —Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026

Valanciunas is slow-footed and plays down the floor in pick-and-roll coverage, leaving the Nuggets more vulnerable to pick-and-pop bigs and other ripple effects of their help rotations around the floor. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for play down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

play down

verb

: to attach little importance to : minimize