PLAYING DOWN Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

playing down

verb

present participle of play down

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

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

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 playing down If a team has one or zero subs left, a red-card offence would result in them playing down a man. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Mexico pledged to investigate the origins of the parasite outbreak, while playing down the idea that contamination occurred in its territory. — Jaewon Kang, Fortune, 18 July 2026 The game was in the 112th minute when Alvarez scored, a testimony to Switzerland’s outstanding defense, playing down a man since the 72nd minute. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026 The host nation won comfortably despite playing down a man from the 64th minute on. — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 Senegal has pressured Iraq, which is again playing down a man, but hasn't had many quality chances on net. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 27 June 2026 Ohtani was out of the lineup for the series opener against the Orioles, but the Dodgers did not opt to put him on the paternity list, temporarily playing down a player instead. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing down

Verb

After dismissing Cora and his staff, the Red Sox have surged back into playoff contention with the trade deadline looming.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
De Vries barely looked at it, dismissing the message as spam or phishing without reading past the first few lines.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

Key decision-makers did not make sufficient use of the extensive expertise across the Defense Department to guide the Israeli military on how make gains against Hamas while minimizing civilian harm in Gaza’s dense urban environments.

— Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
Below, Forbes Human Resources Council members share strategies for encouraging healthier peer feedback while minimizing conflict and fostering a more collaborative workplace.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

For four years now, Metro light rail trains have been running down the center of Crenshaw Boulevard, and for just as long, residents say a major promise has been broken.

— Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Not Bone, But Nerve That something is the ulnar nerve, one of the three major nerves running down the arm.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of running down

Verb

Paul has backed the theory that the coronavirus emerged from a lab, and has accused Fauci and other top officials of publicly downplaying and denigrating that theory, especially in the early days of the pandemic.

— Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 29 July 2026
The American Academy of Pediatrics has accused federal leaders of downplaying the risk of measles and offering misinformation about the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of downplaying

Verb

In a daring high-wire act high above the East River, fearless NYPD cops spent nearly an hour on a span of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge talking down a woman desperately threatening to jump.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026
Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.

— Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026

Definition of talking down

Verb

Plants and animals keenly sense the diminishing light, which acts as a master biological clock that triggers changes such as migration, shifting hormone levels and winter coat growth.

— Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Without diminishing that aspect of music, Musical Bodies rightly situates as much meaning in the objects themselves.

— Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of diminishing

Verb

But as his brace against Uzbekistan showed, writing off Ronaldo remains a dangerous mistake.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
So, before writing off a sluggish job candidate search as a market issue, take a hard look at the listing itself, from the title to the requirements, the compensation and the hiring process.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 June 2026