downplay

verb

down·​play ˈdau̇n-ˌplā How to pronounce downplay (audio)
downplayed; downplaying; downplays
Synonyms of downplaynext

transitive verb

: play down, de-emphasize

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of downplay in a Sentence

Athletes often downplay their injuries. he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interestingly, the Administration is not downplaying the impact of all this uncertainty but rather warning that some short-term pain will be worth the long term gains. — Michael Lynch, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 Signs of a slowdown For now, most Wall Street analysts downplay the risks of an immediate recession, noting that the job market remains healthy. — Alain Sherter, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025 Brunson has always downplayed the minutes discussion when asked. — James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025 Amid the measles outbreak — which has led to more than 200 cases and two deaths — Kennedy has downplayed the significance of vaccinations, instead doubling down on supplements like vitamin A and cod liver oil, which do not prevent infection. — Erika Edwards, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downplay

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downplay was in 1948

Rhymes for downplay

See All Rhymes for downplay

Browse Nearby Words

downplay
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downplay. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on downplay

Nglish: Translation of downplay for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All