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
Kifowit has played down the urgency of modernizing the comptroller’s office, saying improvements are already underway.
—
Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The 2023 Open was played down Highway 1 at Pebble Beach.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The continent’s cautious response to the war in Iran, and Trump’s broader threats, have sparked fears that a diplomatic divide could escalate into another trade confrontation, but one expert played down the rift between the trans-Atlantic partners.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
But Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday played down growing worry about the economic impact on oil shipments from the Middle East, saying Japan has oil reserves at home that can last for several months.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Using his Instagram broadcast channel, the Mexican musician played down the lyric that references him.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played down the violence as the work of a small group of extremists.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Valvano warmed up to Spud, who, once again, held his own in a league where MJ played down the road.
—Kevin Sherrington
feb. 10, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
Head coach Andree Jeglertz dutifully played down any talk of a title being won with eight matches to go.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The 2023 Open was played down Highway 1 at Pebble Beach.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The continent’s cautious response to the war in Iran, and Trump’s broader threats, have sparked fears that a diplomatic divide could escalate into another trade confrontation, but one expert played down the rift between the trans-Atlantic partners.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
But Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday played down growing worry about the economic impact on oil shipments from the Middle East, saying Japan has oil reserves at home that can last for several months.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Using his Instagram broadcast channel, the Mexican musician played down the lyric that references him.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played down the violence as the work of a small group of extremists.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Valvano warmed up to Spud, who, once again, held his own in a league where MJ played down the road.
—Kevin Sherrington
feb. 10, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
Head coach Andree Jeglertz dutifully played down any talk of a title being won with eight matches to go.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played down
Verb
-
In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
How can the footprint of the building and a three-level parking structure to house about 300 cars be minimized?—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
-
In cold-atom environments, where disturbances are minimized, even minute frequency shifts could become detectable.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Still, those sorts of phony statements have deeply diminished faith in our elections and our increasingly rickety democracy.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
How diminished will their opportunities for success be in the real world?—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cherfilus-McCormick downplayed the significance of fellow House Democrats calling for her resignation.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In France, following the G7 meeting on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the cooperation between Iran and Russia.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The verbal altercation continued as both players ran down the court following the free throw.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Her shoulders shook and tears ran down her face.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s always a chance that Fetterman’s prospective foes get talked down from the ledge.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
After Jacksonville, after years of fans feeling talked down to and reporters feeling undermined, this silly little event served a purpose for a change.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Played down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20down. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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