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
But Edwards led the way with a big 16-point fourth quarter, and the Timberwolves made the key plays down the stretch.
—
Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 May 2026
But, powered by veteran guard CJ McCollum and some gutsy defensive plays down the stretch, the Hawks won 107-106 to even the series at one game apiece.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 May 2026
But, powered by veteran guard CJ McCollum and some gutsy defensive plays down the stretch, the Hawks won 107-106 to even the series at one game apiece.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays down
Verb
-
Russia dismisses such claims as nonsense.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
-
Goodspeed dismisses that idea as well.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The Thunder are also a low-pass offense; that minimizes the Lakers’ steal opportunities as well.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Pro hairstylist Ryan Richman previously described this Briogeo cream as a lightweight, silicone-free heat-protectant cream that minimizes frizz, smooths hair, enhances shine, and protects against heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The arched surface invites the heat to spread evenly and mount in intensity, and as the fat runs down, the edges of the meat sizzle and crisp.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Summer means speedy runs down the 1,600-foot-long alpine slide.—
Jess Hoffert,
Midwest Living,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The proposition has been met with backlash online, as some believe the name insinuates a connection to the president or downplays the importance of the man who donated the land, whom it is named after.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
-
If the College Football Playoff expands, the urgency of the regular season diminishes by comparison, and in a sport that had, inarguably, the greatest regular season in sports, that's a huge blow.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Art thrives on openness, and any narrowing of that space diminishes it.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 May 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 12 May. 2026.
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