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

Washington has gone from dismissing Zelensky to seeking deals of its own with Ukraine.

— Thomas Nagorski, Time, 27 July 2026
An unchecked ego further erodes psychological safety, as dismissing feedback signals that team contributions are unwelcome, creating dangerous blind spots.

— Dr. Samantha Madhosingh, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

Understanding why people label certain animals pests can help society respond to potential conflicts while minimizing harm to both humans and animals.

— Elan Abrell, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
Getting these historical lessons right will be critical to maximizing control of virus spread while minimizing social disruption.

— Marc Lipsitch, STAT, 21 July 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

But with knowledge that the clock was running down on the strategy, the administration has, in recent months, embarked on a pathway toward more durable duties using trade authorities that the president has leveraged in the past.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 22 July 2026
Burke touted a system of elevated guideways running down many of Los Angeles’ major roads, above auto traffic.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of running down

Verb

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
Other chat logs included in the lawsuit also show ChatGPT dissuading Winters from seeking hospital care and downplaying Winters’ wife’s concerns about her husband’s health.

— Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 22 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

Staffs are diminishing as layoffs in the industry remain rampant, as was seen in the ESPN firings this week, and reporters are being tasked with juggling several responsibilities at once.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
At 28 years old, clubs will also factor in his diminishing resale value.

— Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 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