1
as in dismisses
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 minimizes
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 plays down
The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Santos, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Warriors win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, made several big plays down the stretch.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Valanciunas is slow-footed and plays down the floor in pick-and-roll coverage, leaving the Nuggets more vulnerable to pick-and-pop bigs and other ripple effects of their help rotations around the floor.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
The senior forward had 18 points and made pivotal plays down the stretch, including a dunk, an offensive rebound and free throws to seal the game.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Crean Lutheran senior guard Nick Giarusso made the big plays down the stretch to help the Saints beat the Lions, 59-52, at Toyota Arena.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
But with the game on the line, TCU’s Olivia Miles took control with multiple highlight plays down the stretch to clinch the game.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2026
Bench energizer Chendall Weaver, combo guard Simeon Wilcher and bruising forward Lassina Traore — the only three Longhorns who see regular minutes off the bench — each made crucial plays down the stretch as Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC) pulled away for a road win against one of its fiercest rivals.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS NO ENTRY ZONE – Israel shuts door on Turkey in Gaza as Trump praises Erdogan, plays down clash.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Santos, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Warriors win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, made several big plays down the stretch.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Valanciunas is slow-footed and plays down the floor in pick-and-roll coverage, leaving the Nuggets more vulnerable to pick-and-pop bigs and other ripple effects of their help rotations around the floor.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
The senior forward had 18 points and made pivotal plays down the stretch, including a dunk, an offensive rebound and free throws to seal the game.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Crean Lutheran senior guard Nick Giarusso made the big plays down the stretch to help the Saints beat the Lions, 59-52, at Toyota Arena.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
But with the game on the line, TCU’s Olivia Miles took control with multiple highlight plays down the stretch to clinch the game.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2026
Bench energizer Chendall Weaver, combo guard Simeon Wilcher and bruising forward Lassina Traore — the only three Longhorns who see regular minutes off the bench — each made crucial plays down the stretch as Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC) pulled away for a road win against one of its fiercest rivals.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS NO ENTRY ZONE – Israel shuts door on Turkey in Gaza as Trump praises Erdogan, plays down clash.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays down
Verb
-
If Erdos dismisses the lawsuit on account of arbitration, that will mean the dispute leaves the public court system and continues in arbitration, which is private and subject to confidentiality provisions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Descovich dismisses the criticism.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Other effective strategies include thoughtful classroom seating that minimizes distractions and improves access to visual and verbal cues.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The monitor is also TÜV Rheinland 3-star eye comfort certified, which means the monitor minimizes eyestrain, no matter how long your gaming sessions are.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Izzy Rodriguez made one of her patented overlapping runs down the left-hand side of the field and then played a perfect cross into the middle.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Brundage combined with sophomore defender Brooklynn Sosa multiple times throughout the match, with Sosa constantly making attacking runs down the right.—
Ishmael Johnson,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
San Diego economist Ray Major downplays the impacts of declining immigration, pointing out that the far more concerning issue is the continuing exodus of residents, who far outnumber those who are moving here.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But as the season progresses, that outlet diminishes.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The show never talks down to the audience.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plays down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20down. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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