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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
Not playing down the stretch was a function of stiffness.
—
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS NO ENTRY ZONE – Israel shuts door on Turkey in Gaza as Trump praises Erdogan, plays down clash.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Several officers who fought the rioters told The Associated Press that the hardest thing to deal with has been the effort by many to play down the violence, despite a massive trove of video and photographic evidence documenting the carnage.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
The Bears relentlessly attacked Brown deep down the field, and the Niners’ safety — who made several nice plays down as a de facto linebacker — gave up two first-half touchdowns on deep balls.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS NO ENTRY ZONE – Israel shuts door on Turkey in Gaza as Trump praises Erdogan, plays down clash.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Several officers who fought the rioters told The Associated Press that the hardest thing to deal with has been the effort by many to play down the violence, despite a massive trove of video and photographic evidence documenting the carnage.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
The Bears relentlessly attacked Brown deep down the field, and the Niners’ safety — who made several nice plays down as a de facto linebacker — gave up two first-half touchdowns on deep balls.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
-
However, a White House official dismissed speculation.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Continue reading … LEGAL LOOPHOLE – Luigi Mangione returns to court as judge weighs defense motion to dismiss death penalty charge.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cruz and other Republicans argued the decision minimized the gravity of an attack on the judiciary and could encourage future political violence.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Lake Tahoe property, once marketed as one of the region’s most expensive listings, features multiple structures on five acres, direct lake access, and two glass funiculars running down the hillside to the water.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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The piers of an unfinished, elevated toll road, the Skyway, ran down the center of one of the streets, Gregorio Araneta Avenue, which also happened to be the home of Manila’s new boom industry, a mile-and-a-half-long strip of funeral homes, florists, and crematoria.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In accordance with his own briefing, Touhami chose not to downplay the scale of his project.—
Asad Syrkett,
Architectural Digest,
24 Jan. 2026
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Anxiety, insomnia, and weight gain struck seemingly out of nowhere, but her doctors downplayed her concerns, leaving her isolated, even questioning her sanity.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In these settings, the men tend to talk down to me or dismiss my expertise.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Simultaneously, Paramount is hoping to talk down Netflix stock, which has suffered from recent market headwinds.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Sources at the club who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity to protect relationships say there is no diminishing faith in Hurzeler at boardroom level.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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And some poor choices have not diminished the status of the Norwegian Nobel Committee as the international arbiter of moral courage.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of writing off the cost of certain assets over several years, businesses can generally deduct the full cost upfront, within limits.—
Forbes Money Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Net charge-offs refer to the amount of debt a bank has written off as uncollectible, minus any recoveries; a decline is a good thing.—
,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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