1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
And while many fund managers have sought to play down the sector’s concentration in software, the Wall Street Journal reported this week that four of the biggest funds, including Blue Owl, have far more exposure to software than their public filings suggest.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Tehran has played down the prospect of talks or that any breakthrough was imminent as Pakistan acts as an intermediary.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The industry is bracing for massive jobs cuts, which Ellison has played down and did again Friday, insisting the combined company will operate more efficiently but also grow.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Santos, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Warriors win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, made several big plays down the stretch.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Tehran has played down the prospect of talks or that any breakthrough was imminent as Pakistan acts as an intermediary.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The industry is bracing for massive jobs cuts, which Ellison has played down and did again Friday, insisting the combined company will operate more efficiently but also grow.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Santos, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Warriors win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, made several big plays down the stretch.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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Federal Court Justice James Stellios ruled in dismissing the appeal that no jurisdiction error was made in 2024 by then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in ordering Duggan's extradition.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Maasdorp called for a pivot toward investment, capital mobilization, and regional integration, saying BII was looking to forge partnerships that de-risk investment in markets long dismissed as too volatile.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Effective vole control includes keeping grass mowed, minimizing mulch, using traps, and protecting young trees with hardware cloth tubes.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
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For as long as medicine has been practiced, women’s health concerns have been minimized, misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday’s game ended with defensive replacement Will Benson, acquired in exchange for Hajjar ahead of the 2023 season, running down a long drive by San Francisco’s Daniel Susac to secure the victory.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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In the fifth inning, Witt ran down a shallow fly ball in left field.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The NYT‘s profile either downplayed or omitted all of these glaring ethical red flags.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
9 Apr. 2026
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The organization has sought to downplay the news, sharing it on LinkedIn on Thursday rather than issuing a formal press release or splashy social media post to avoid detracting from Fashion Revolution Week.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Baldwin also said district custodians are understaffed, supplied with broken or old equipment, have been denied language interpreters during meetings and are in general talked down to by administrative staff.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Shotwell seems to exude a certain kind of humility and, in this interview, even talk down her own role at SpaceX at times.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This loud-and-proud version of Sonny certainly feels progressive, but in a different way it soft-pedals Sonny’s complications.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Perpetuating ageism diminishes all of us.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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The change reflects assessment that downside risks from a severe and prolonged tariff shock have diminished after US duties on Thai exports were reduced to levels broadly in line with regional peers, Moody’s said in a statement Tuesday.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Why more Sacramento residents are seeking evaluation As public awareness changes, individuals who were formerly written off as chaotic, fragile, strange or unstable are now seeing those outdated stories from a contemporary perspective.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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The tax deductions of a 14-year-old Buffett Just as any adult would do, Buffett made sure to write off his business expenses that year on his tax return.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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