as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
you're at a point in your career where you can de-emphasize your academic record and emphasize your work experience
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Recent Examples of de-emphasize
The Giants also appear to be de-emphasizing Dart as a runner to keep him healthy, which could lead to him getting a higher volume of passing attempts in Week 15.
—
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Cyberlink de-emphasizes the automatic, easy movie project tools, instead focusing on serious full-power video editing.
—PC Magazine, 15 Nov. 2025
The changes have included an overhaul of Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has de-emphasized a listing of relevant web links in its results and increasingly highlighted AI overviews and conversational responses provided through an AI mode.
—Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
The base Microsoft 365 subscription itself has become increasingly essential as Microsoft de-emphasizes standalone Office purchases and makes cloud integration more central to document workflows.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for de-emphasize
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Cyberlink de-emphasizes the automatic, easy movie project tools, instead focusing on serious full-power video editing.
—PC Magazine, 15 Nov. 2025
The changes have included an overhaul of Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has de-emphasized a listing of relevant web links in its results and increasingly highlighted AI overviews and conversational responses provided through an AI mode.
—Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
The base Microsoft 365 subscription itself has become increasingly essential as Microsoft de-emphasizes standalone Office purchases and makes cloud integration more central to document workflows.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for de-emphasize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for de-emphasize
Verb
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Protect your mower by minimizing grass buildup with these 4 tips.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
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His medical team also worked carefully to minimize the emotional challenges that could accompany the process.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Verb
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But even that may downplay the risk.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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Fifield fired back at the New York Times in an X post on Friday for downplaying the story.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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The ruling came after similar cases in Michigan and Georgia were dismissed by the courts and a special prosecutor dropped a federal case in late 2024 that charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.—
Jacques Billeaud,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Analysts fault Harris and party leaders for soft-pedaling Donald Trump’s felony convictions and other vulnerabilities, arguing Democrats’ rational, low-negative messaging couldn’t compete in an election defined by rage and relentless attack ads.—
Steve Peoples,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
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Old school with a gift for storytelling, Simon was not one to soft-pedal his mentees.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“De-emphasize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de-emphasize. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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