1
as in dismissed
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 minimized
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 played down
But Rubio played down the issue.
—
Lorne Cook, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
But Adcock initially played down expectations by noting that the Figure team was aiming for the robots to work for eight hours straight, whereas a previous Figure demo had lasted just one hour.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
Maresca played down those reports at the time.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
The news came as BlackRock and JPMorgan played down fears of an AI bubble.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 May 2026
But what if Landry, who barely played down the stretch last season after injuring his knee in October, can’t get back to 100%?
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Mikel Arteta has played down concerns about the injuries suffered by Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Yet Trump has shown little interest in inflation and played down the rising energy costs caused by the war prompting Iran to effectively shutter the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Asked if City are underdogs, Guardiola played down the label.
—Reuters, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Lorne Cook, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
But Adcock initially played down expectations by noting that the Figure team was aiming for the robots to work for eight hours straight, whereas a previous Figure demo had lasted just one hour.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
Maresca played down those reports at the time.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
The news came as BlackRock and JPMorgan played down fears of an AI bubble.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 May 2026
But what if Landry, who barely played down the stretch last season after injuring his knee in October, can’t get back to 100%?
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Mikel Arteta has played down concerns about the injuries suffered by Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Yet Trump has shown little interest in inflation and played down the rising energy costs caused by the war prompting Iran to effectively shutter the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Asked if City are underdogs, Guardiola played down the label.
—Reuters, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played down
Verb
-
Hassett dismissed Chapman's assessment, insisting that there is enough inventory.—
Ford McCracken,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
-
When he’s dismissed from his SETI job, a huge cover-up ensues.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Starry is propelled by my real and personal anger that these women’s contributions to the genre have been minimized or elided altogether.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
When speaking to Popcast, Levinson also defended the sexualization of the series, explained why some of the storylines ended up mirroring real life, and why some characters were minimized.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Polis wrote in his veto letter that the bill would have diminished incentives for fire departments to participate in the Colorado Firefighter Trust, which replaced state workers’ compensation for firefighters’ cancer claims.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
Phosphorus has diminished some.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Asked about arms sales to Taiwan, Hegseth downplayed concerns that a multi-billion-dollar package could be affected as the United States draws down its weapons stockpiles amid the Middle East conflict.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
-
The president has pressured the Fed to cut rates, while Warsh has recently downplayed the significance and accuracy of the PCE gauge.—
D. Brian Blank,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
As Roberto De Zerbi ran down the touchline in celebration of Joao Palhinha giving Tottenham Hotspur the lead against Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, one of his players was in hot pursuit.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
The home jersey featured dark red and blue stripes paired with a solid blue collar, while subtle Meyba detailing ran down the shoulders for a sleeker, more contemporary feel for its time.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The contractors talked down to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Others described feeling they were being talked down to.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Played down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20down. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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