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
Relevance
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
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
Their forward depth with (Nikolaj) Ehlers playing down the lineup has been a huge strength.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
1 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
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
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Their forward depth with (Nikolaj) Ehlers playing down the lineup has been a huge strength.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
1 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
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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Your method of dismissing your flippant remarks, then, is probably the next best option to silence.
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Kerry Washington completely dismissing Seth Meyers’s home life absolutely slays.
Verb
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Its quick-release, tool-free battery system enables operators to swap batteries within seconds, minimizing downtime during industrial inspections, security patrols, and disaster response operations.
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Scott Barnes, Jennifer Lopez’s longtime makeup artist, considers the ingredients of this Korean sunscreen a plus for minimizing the look of pores, while delivering other benefits to aging skin.
Verb
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On a broken possession with the shot clock running down, Thornton caught the ball in the right corner with space to shoot.
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Taking the form of a 420-pound plasticky egg, K5s have mainly made headlines through extraordinary mishaps like drowning in a fountain and running down a 16-month-old-toddler.
Verb
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But critics have accused them of downplaying the risks.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted Wednesday that the opening could be delayed while downplaying any concerns.
Verb
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Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.
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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.
Verb
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Not even a hint of repercussions for diminishing the integrity of the event.
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The 23-page analysis also pointed to escalating public health and social services costs, declining investments in capital improvements and an outsized reliance on state and federal tax dollars as drivers of the county’s diminishing financial health.
Verb
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But as his brace against Uzbekistan showed, writing off Ronaldo remains a dangerous mistake.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Playing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20down. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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