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
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
The Bears relentlessly attacked Brown deep down the field, and the Niners’ safety — who made several nice plays down as a de facto linebacker — gave up two first-half touchdowns on deep balls.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Mims made big plays down the stretch, too.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Tyson has great speed and athleticism to make plays down the field.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Eventually, the Panthers will be able to make some big plays down the field with Horn extending his package of reps.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2025
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
FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
The Bears relentlessly attacked Brown deep down the field, and the Niners’ safety — who made several nice plays down as a de facto linebacker — gave up two first-half touchdowns on deep balls.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Mims made big plays down the stretch, too.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Tyson has great speed and athleticism to make plays down the field.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Eventually, the Panthers will be able to make some big plays down the field with Horn extending his package of reps.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays down
Verb
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Yet this gloss dismisses something that might be better understood as a guiding principle, and suggests that criticism of Israel is an idealist’s liability rather than a stance with growing support among Democratic voters.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
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Leadership that dismisses or undermines inclusion inflicts real harm on students, faculty, and staff.—
Wanda James,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Unlike autonomous cars which operate on public roads and uncontrolled environments, agriculture occurs on private land where everything is more controlled, which minimizes regulatory hurdles and potential for accidents.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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By investing in a construction that minimizes returns and maximizes sell-through, the total cost of ownership drops, even if the FOB price ticks up.—
Sophia Chu,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As a precaution, the district continues to advise residents to avoid contact with waterways in southwest Jefferson County, including Northern Ditch, Southern Ditch and Pond Creek, which runs down to the Salt River.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
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This is the moment when Tyrique George runs down the right flank and sends a cross into the area, which takes a bit of a deflection.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The humble Toney downplays that nickname.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2026
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This downplays the robotic look somewhat.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As data center revenue starts to dominate sales, hyperscale ASIC initiatives transition into sustained volume, and customer diversification diminishes earnings variability, Marvell begins to resemble less of a cyclical component supplier and more of a structural AI infrastructure platform.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The biography is presented as a clear-eyed and evenhanded examination of Reid’s complex legacy that neither whitewashes his methods nor diminishes his accomplishments.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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