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
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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
Chapman the Seagull Chapman plays down his part in Brighton becoming known as ‘Seagulls’ by fans during the 1970s.
—
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Proud of our players for making plays down the stretch in critical situations.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2025
The two guards closed the fourth quarter in a close win over the Sky and star Angel Reese with each making dazzling plays down the stretch.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Proud of our players for making plays down the stretch in critical situations.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2025
The two guards closed the fourth quarter in a close win over the Sky and star Angel Reese with each making dazzling plays down the stretch.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays down
Verb
-
Each side dismisses the other's contention.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Trump dismisses Republican mayoral hopeful as Giuliani allies support Cuomo.—
,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Your Lawn Aerating the lawn helps nutrients reach deeper into the soil, minimizes compaction, and can help when overseeding the lawn.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
At the time, Lee minimizes the bombshell by way of embellishment.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rosie runs down the road to greet her owner.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Forbes senior contributor Dave Altavilla runs down the tech specs of the new platform and its developer tools.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Even as Vancouver publicly downplays its conviction about Cootes, internally, the conversation around him is beginning to shift materially.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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The film’s overall low-key tenor downplays both moral judgment and conspicuous style, though neither are entirely lacking.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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But the sale also diminishes some hopes that Berkshire would buy Oxy in its entirety, potentially hurting the stock.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plays down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20down. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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