as in minimizing
to reduce in apparent importance
he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
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Recent Examples of downplaying
Nilsson, an incorrigible Midwesterner, had a history of downplaying her depth.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett painted a rosy picture of the economy Sunday, downplaying Americans' growing pessimism about the economy amid high gas prices and rising inflation as the Iran war goes on.
—Ford McCracken, ABC News, 31 May 2026
Koepele has a business interest in downplaying the danger in New York waters.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 30 May 2026
Draper accused Baker of downplaying troll behavior.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Ariniello also made headlines for downplaying a watchdog report released by the Boston Policy Institute that found the city was facing a more than $1 billion budget shortfall due to empty office buildings and falling values over the next five years.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 26 May 2026
Some in Israel accuse United Nations observers and human rights groups of downplaying the issue.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 14 May 2026
As Starlink gains traction as a potential disruptor to traditional ISPs, Verizon’s CEO is downplaying the threat, predicting that satellite rivals SpaceX and Amazon will remain niche internet providers in the US.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 May 2026
Meanwhile, Merck was accused of downplaying the significant cardiovascular risks associated with the drug.
—Sukhun Kang, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett painted a rosy picture of the economy Sunday, downplaying Americans' growing pessimism about the economy amid high gas prices and rising inflation as the Iran war goes on.
—Ford McCracken, ABC News, 31 May 2026
Koepele has a business interest in downplaying the danger in New York waters.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 30 May 2026
Draper accused Baker of downplaying troll behavior.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Ariniello also made headlines for downplaying a watchdog report released by the Boston Policy Institute that found the city was facing a more than $1 billion budget shortfall due to empty office buildings and falling values over the next five years.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 26 May 2026
Some in Israel accuse United Nations observers and human rights groups of downplaying the issue.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 14 May 2026
As Starlink gains traction as a potential disruptor to traditional ISPs, Verizon’s CEO is downplaying the threat, predicting that satellite rivals SpaceX and Amazon will remain niche internet providers in the US.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 May 2026
Meanwhile, Merck was accused of downplaying the significant cardiovascular risks associated with the drug.
—Sukhun Kang, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplaying
Verb
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As with minimizing soil disturbance, this, too, helps tremendously with controlling erosion, increasing the carbon content of soil and conserving moisture.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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Ambush hunting enables energy conservation while minimizing the risks associated with pursuit; remaining motionless in water for hours also costs comparatively little.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The Browns entered the offseason looking for a replacement after dismissing Kevin Stefanski, and Schwartz quickly emerged as a leading candidate after overseeing one of the NFL's top defenses.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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On May 20, an $850,000 settlement was reached in the case in exchange for dismissing the complaint, according to a news release by Terr’s organization FIRE, which represented Bushart.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplaying. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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