1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
Several officers who fought the rioters said the hardest thing to deal with has been the effort by many to play down the violence, despite a massive trove of video and photographic evidence documenting it.
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Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
Several officers who fought the rioters told The Associated Press that the hardest thing to deal with has been the effort by many to play down the violence, despite a massive trove of video and photographic evidence documenting the carnage.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Denver Post, 4 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
Ahead of the demerger, ter Kulve played down these risks, arguing that for years TMICC has evolved its portfolio to include more products with reduced sugar, higher amounts of protein or in which portions can be controlled.
—Ian King, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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In September, Hecox filed a notice to dismiss the lawsuit.—
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Why was Alabama’s 31-17 loss to a 4-8 FSU team so easily dismissed by the committee?—
Verb
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Cruz and other Republicans argued the decision minimized the gravity of an attack on the judiciary and could encourage future political violence.—
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
Verb
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Smith ran down the sideline and broke away from Livingstone’s defense inside of four minutes left in regulation, helping the Golden Bulls run out the clock.—
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For more than 50 years, the harrowing Vietnam War image, which shows a nine-year-old girl named Kim Phúc running down a road naked, her clothes burned off in a napalm attack, has been credited to an Associated Press photographer named Nick Út.—
Verb
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British officials downplayed the pause as temporary, insisting momentum would resume amid complex negotiations, but the impasse signals broader frustrations with Europe’s regulatory posture toward American innovation, market access, and economic sovereignty.—
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, however, downplayed the agent's injuries.—
Verb
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Kirk does not talk down to the reader, and that is a feat.—
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Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.—
Verb
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In fact, several of the investigators believed the shooting was intentional, and that the Biden administration had actually soft-pedaled the investigation’s findings to appease Israel.—
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On the other hand, the idea of being Colorado sober soft-pedals the potentially addictive effects of cannabis and psychedelics, said Alton P. Dillard II, a media consultant for the One Chance to Grow Up nonprofit.—
Verb
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Still seething after a sloppy 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions, Johnson wasn’t hiding his dissatisfaction with a defeat that seemed to diminish his team’s momentum.—
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Kaufman moved there 30 years ago, and since that time the island’s community has diminished by degrees, its youth lured away by better employment prospects in Provo and overseas.—
Verb
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This could be easily written off as the financial mismanagement of youth, but taken as a whole, Gen Z’s outlook on the economy is at once a rejection of conventional wisdom and a deep, almost subconscious absorption of the commodification of everything.—
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Even if your yard is limited to a small patio or your winters don’t suit outdoor growing, don’t write off growing fruit trees in the small space.—
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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