PLAYED DOWN Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

played down

verb

past tense of play down

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

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

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 Miami coach Mario Cristobal played down preseason hype around his team. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026 The industry is one of the key drivers of Indian economic growth and middle-class expansion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played down job displacement concerns. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Iranian state television earlier played down the outcome of the Iran-Oman discussions, citing a person familiar with the matter as saying an agreement between Tehran and Muscat would not necessarily mean the strait would open immediately. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 Merseyside sources have played down suggestions of a formal bid for the Canada international, but talks have taken place between the two clubs. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Longer term, there has been speculation — which Lewis played down in February — that Diageo’s 34% stake in the champagne and cognac business Moët Hennessy may be sold to majority shareholder LVMH. — Ian King, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 Yamal has always played down the comparison, focusing instead on being the best version of himself. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026 In Moscow, the Kremlin played down the importance of Fedorov's dismissal — despite his role in shaping Ukraine's attack drone program against the Russian interior. — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 16 July 2026 Comcast executives on the analyst call played down the notion that the two companies were being positioned for another deal. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for played down

Verb

Fedorov, a popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces and accelerating the military’s embrace of technology and drone warfare, was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country’s top military commander.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Gonzalez Rogers initially dismissed the case, though the Supreme Court later took it up and ruled that consumers could sue the company.

— Jeffrey Kopp, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismissed

Verb

The study assumed the investor was a buy-and-hold investor, which minimized sales and thereby reduced taxes on capital gains.

— Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
At a time when antisemitism is too often minimized, rationalized or repackaged in more socially acceptable language, this kind of moral clarity matters.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimized

Verb

The term refers to when tobacco companies in the 1990s were forced to pay billions of dollars for misleading the public about the safety and potential harms of their products, and subsequently saw their power and influence dramatically diminished.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
But the likelihood of finding more survivors has diminished sharply since the first 72 hours after the earthquake.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminished

Verb

Quincy Mayor Tom Koch is not backing down and has downplayed the religious meaning of the statues.

— Neal Riley, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
The Treasury Department has previously warned Chinese financial institutions that they could be sanctioned, but in public statements, top administration officials have downplayed China's role in the conflict.

— Chris Boccia, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of downplayed

Verb

Bleday also hit a deep drive that Arizona center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt ran down at the wall in the seventh and struck out in the ninth The 28-year-old left fielder topped his career high with the homer, his 21st of the season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
The land, most of it operated by the Peconic Land Trust to ensure it’s never developed, ran down to the bay, and there were hiking paths running through the entire property.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026