Synonyms of downplaying

downplaying

verb

present participle of downplay

as in minimizing

to reduce in apparent importance

he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success

Synonyms & Similar Words

• minimizing
• dismissing
• de-emphasizing
• soft-pedaling
• understating
• playing down
• underplaying
• denigrating
• belittling
• disparaging
• decrying
• derogating
• deprecating
• depreciating
• running down
• talking down
• trashing
• bad-mouthing
• crying down
• trash-talking
• poor-mouthing
• putting down
• kissing off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exaggerating
• overstating
• overdoing
• elaborating
• stretching
• overdrawing
• magnifying
• embellishing
• padding
• embroidering
• hedging
• overemphasizing
• fudging
• overplaying
• sensationalizing
• melodramatizing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of downplaying

Prosecutors had accused the two former FBI officials of falsely downplaying to Congress their knowledge of investigations into President Biden’s son and of a laptop the younger Biden dropped off at a computer repair shop in Delaware in 2019. — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

In June, Vice President JD Vance spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California, downplaying the scandal that ended Nixon’s presidency. — Dustin Desoto, Vox, 30 Oct. 2026

The president, meanwhile, has been trying to rally voters around the country, touting the economy as strong while downplaying the extent of inflation under his watch. — New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

But since SpaceX floated the idea of becoming a US carrier, T-Mobile has been downplaying satellite connectivity and even suggested working with other satellite partners. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026

Eight states sued OpenAI this week, alleging that the AI company caused severe harm to users, many of them underage, while downplaying the risks of its technology. — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026

In recent weeks, Mets fans have tried to rewrite history, downplaying his role as a leader, and Pete Alonso’s as well. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026

The complaint suggested that OpenAI’s defense will likely be to blame Van Rootselaar for their violent inputs, while downplaying ChatGPT’s outputs. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

Those inside Netflix, per individuals with close knowledge of the company, are downplaying the significance of this theatrical flirtation. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026