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 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 Miami coach Mario Cristobal played down preseason hype around his team. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for played down

Verb

The North has denied responsibility for the incident and dismissed Seoul's demand to apologize and remove its remaining mines.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Three weeks before the election, the chairman of Israel’s Central Elections Committee dismissed the case, but the AID Coalition agreed not to buy more blocks on additional flights.

— Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismissed

Verb

Such acknowledgment matters, particularly when historical injustices have been repeatedly minimized or excluded from official narratives.

— Brooke N. Newman, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026
Abrams, also an Atlantan, had served previously as state House minority leader, a role Republicans minimized as insufficient experience.

— Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of minimized

Verb

As with many early American utopian communities, their ranks diminished after the Civil War, but a small band of Shakers has persisted at Sabbathday.

— Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Somewhat diminished in the film’s erratic attempts to contextualize this ever-metastasizing sickness is Odeh himself.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminished

Verb

Yet, the complaint says, both downplayed their firsthand knowledge of the laptop or involvement in investigations during 2023 congressional testimony.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Cuomo downplayed the wave of objections, framing the pushback as a predictable reaction to a major market shift.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026