played down

past tense of play down

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of played down The European Union played down expectations for an agreement anytime soon. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026 The ministry played down the significance of the incident, saying that alerts are distributed through regional and municipal systems such as sirens and loudspeakers, SMS messages and media broadcasts. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026 That happened Sunday night, as the Chiefs played down both starting tackles, with Josh Simmons (back) and Jaylon Moore (concussion) remaining sidelined with injuries. — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2026 The Singapore Shipping Association also played down the prospect of a broad withdrawal of commercial shipping from the region, suggesting operators would instead adapt to changing trade conditions. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 Russia's government played down concerns Monday sparked by media reports that a female scientist in Siberia might have died of exposure to the plague after a lab accident. — Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026 The hearing officer noted that Marx, in a July podcast interview, had played down the violations and claimed the campaign was aware of them before the complaints began to mount. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026 With the Kroenke deal, the Angels will plug into a much larger sports and media ecosystem that should benefit the team that has always played down the road in Orange County in the shadow of the region’s beloved Los Angeles Dodgers franchise. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 But Blanche played down concerns that the erosion of judicial trust could impede his efforts to advance his agenda. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played down
Verb
  • Women’s stories, especially those focused on their desires, have historically been dismissed as unserious, but romance has always had a huge, loyal readership.
    — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Five other felonies were dismissed by prosecutors as part of the plea agreement.
    — Logan Smith, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Politicians listened to the rocket scientists who recommended the concept of a lunar orbit rendezvous because that concept minimized total launch mass.
    — Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Singer minimized that position, arguing that Moskowitz would be unable to counter increasing skepticism among many other Democrats over the government’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Invite more than four, the regular season would be severely diminished and the very structure of the game would crumble.
    — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The political craftsmanship lies in making an agreement sufficiently appealing that neither side feels diminished by wearing it.
    — Anna Rahmanan, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • White has previously downplayed the prospect of entering politics himself.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But McVay downplayed his own anticipation of seeing the group play together for the first time.
    — Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The game came down to its final moments, but after two failed UNC onside kicks, Miami ran down the clock.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Models literally ran down the catwalk at times during Adidas’ high-octane show with multiple acts.
    — Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Oversimplifying things, on the other hand, would leave hardcore fans feeling as if they were being talked down to.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There is a sense that it is patronised and talked down to a lot of the time.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Played down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20down. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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