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
But critics have accused them of downplaying the risks.
—
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted Wednesday that the opening could be delayed while downplaying any concerns.
—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
The plaintiffs’ lawyers countered that Royal Caribbean was greatly downplaying the injuries the victims suffered.
—
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
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
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
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted Wednesday that the opening could be delayed while downplaying any concerns.
—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
The plaintiffs’ lawyers countered that Royal Caribbean was greatly downplaying the injuries the victims suffered.
—
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplaying
Verb
-
Its quick-release, tool-free battery system enables operators to swap batteries within seconds, minimizing downtime during industrial inspections, security patrols, and disaster response operations.
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Scott Barnes, Jennifer Lopez’s longtime makeup artist, considers the ingredients of this Korean sunscreen a plus for minimizing the look of pores, while delivering other benefits to aging skin.
Verb
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Your method of dismissing your flippant remarks, then, is probably the next best option to silence.
-
Kerry Washington completely dismissing Seth Meyers’s home life absolutely slays.
Cite this Entry
“Downplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplaying. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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