1
as in dismissing
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 minimizing
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 playing down
But after his early doom-laden predictions, Altman may now be an outlier among industry leaders in playing down the impact on work.
—
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 26 May 2026
The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.
—Apress, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Before this weekend’s game, Town manager Gavin Macpherson was playing down the rivalry.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
After a week of playing down to – and then slightly lower than – their last-place opponents, the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 victory on Wednesday night.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s usually a physical requirement, as well as severely playing down the high-wattage glamor that got you on red carpets in the first place.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
The Chiefs know something about playing down a man or two at the position.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2025
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 26 May 2026
The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.
—Apress, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Before this weekend’s game, Town manager Gavin Macpherson was playing down the rivalry.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
After a week of playing down to – and then slightly lower than – their last-place opponents, the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 victory on Wednesday night.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s usually a physical requirement, as well as severely playing down the high-wattage glamor that got you on red carpets in the first place.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
The Chiefs know something about playing down a man or two at the position.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing down
Verb
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Teams dismissing low-code as not real development are missing legitimate opportunities.—
Nik Froehlich,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Rather than dismissing the barrage, Tech delivered a cappella snippets from multiple tracks spanning his decades-long catalog, drawing one of the night’s strongest reactions.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2026
Verb
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As with minimizing soil disturbance, this, too, helps tremendously with controlling erosion, increasing the carbon content of soil and conserving moisture.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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Ambush hunting enables energy conservation while minimizing the risks associated with pursuit; remaining motionless in water for hours also costs comparatively little.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The Lodge is technically not in Seattle—the converted seminary is located inside Kenmore’s Saint Edward State Park, an expanse of forest with trails running down to the eastern shore of Lake Washington.—
Harry Cheadle,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 May 2026
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In Golden State’s two losses to Indiana and Chicago, the Valkyries struggled when defenses pressed up against their guards and forced them to take tough shots at the rim with the shot clock running down.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Nilsson, an incorrigible Midwesterner, had a history of downplaying her depth.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett painted a rosy picture of the economy Sunday, downplaying Americans' growing pessimism about the economy amid high gas prices and rising inflation as the Iran war goes on.—
Ford McCracken,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
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During his remarks, Beshear accused Vance, whose memoir explores issues such as poverty and the lack of opportunity in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, of talking down to the people of Kentucky.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has also proposed slashing nearly $800 million from the park system’s roughly $3-billion operating budget — potentially diminishing the ability to keep facilities clean and control crowds.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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The singer-songwriter’s forthright and wistful new record, Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me, is an exercise in revisitation that yields expanding, not diminishing, returns.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Forsaking clay, if only in terms of expectations, means writing off a little more than 20 percent of the season, a quarter of the Grand Slams and, for now, a third of the most important ATP tournaments, the Masters 1000s.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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Look, writing off the Twins was stale before the season even started.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20down. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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