as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
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Recent Examples of downplay
As the government argued in an attempt to downplay the declaration’s legal effects, the declaration is just one factor that the HHS Inspector General might consider when deciding whether to exclude a provider from Medicare or Medicaid.
—
Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump’s top White House economic adviser downplayed concerns that skyrocketing energy costs could hurt struggling American consumers.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
For now, Pritzker is downplaying any presidential possibilities and is trying for a rare three-peat to become the first Illinois governor to serve three terms since Republican Jim Thompson, who served during three different decades from 1977 to 1991.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
There is some evidence that Encode has worked to downplay its links to the Left in recent years.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump’s top White House economic adviser downplayed concerns that skyrocketing energy costs could hurt struggling American consumers.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
For now, Pritzker is downplaying any presidential possibilities and is trying for a rare three-peat to become the first Illinois governor to serve three terms since Republican Jim Thompson, who served during three different decades from 1977 to 1991.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
There is some evidence that Encode has worked to downplay its links to the Left in recent years.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplay
Verb
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How can the footprint of the building and a three-level parking structure to house about 300 cars be minimized?—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
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This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The owners who were arrested were charged with felonies; however, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg later dismissed the case due to conflicts of interest.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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As part of the plea agreement, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child — another third-degree felony — as well as a class-A misdemeanor charge of child abuse and a class-B misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief were dismissed.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
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But a communications strategy designed to soft-pedal radioactive contamination of food won’t make America healthy.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplay. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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