downplayed

verb

past tense of downplay
as in minimized
to reduce in apparent importance he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of downplayed The filing suggested replacing it with an outdoor amphitheater, though administration officials have downplayed the idea as a present plan. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Reflecting on her own legacy, Steinem typically downplayed her legendary status. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026 Luxon, however, downplayed the significance of Kiribati's non-attendance and of Nauru's rare dissent to the clause in the Pacific leaders' end of summit communiqué. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 The Dodgers have downplayed Ohtani’s offensive struggles despite several weeks of underperformance. — Katie Woo, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The hedge fund veteran and Cabinet secretary chose a starting point for his analysis that downplayed the bond market’s reaction to Trump’s presidency. — Kevin Breuninger,matt Peterson, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Also downplayed was rimegepant, a CGRP-blocking medication sold under the brand name Nurtec, which was approved by the FDA in 2021 as a preventive treatment for episodic migraine. — Isabella Cueto, STAT, 31 Aug. 2026 Shifting emphasis moving into the general election A number of Republicans have removed or downplayed references to Trump from their websites after winning their primaries. — Steve Peoples, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 Patterson and some council members downplayed the relevance of those findings, however, saying they were dated and conducted in different cities under different circumstances. — Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplayed
  1. minimized
  2. dismissed
  3. de-emphasized
  4. soft-pedaled
Verb
  • And dust coming into the system should be minimized, which should be beneficial for long-term use.
    — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2026
  • However, the potential impact of the agreement between states and Meta should not be minimized.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of minimized
Verb
  • Challenges to Essayli’s position were brought in several criminal cases, with defense lawyers arguing that charges filed under his watch are invalid and should be dismissed.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • One of them, dismissed Sooners quarterback Chris Robison, was the MVP of the 2019 Conference USA championship, Kiffin’s second league title in three seasons.
    — Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissed
Verb
  • Our tactile and sensory life has been de-emphasized in favor of ideas, symbols, accomplishments, and abstractions.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of de-emphasized
Verb
  • In fact, several of the investigators believed the shooting was intentional, and that the Biden administration had actually soft-pedaled the investigation’s findings to appease Israel.
    — Scott Griffen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of soft-pedaled

Browse Nearby Words

downplay
downplayed
downplaying
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Cite this Entry

“Downplayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplayed. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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