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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
But Macron’s office nonetheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not now in office had been invited as well.
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Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Campbell’s opposite number on Thursday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, also played down the importance of Gibbs’ misstep.
—Andy Scholes, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
Ancelotti tried to play down the seriousness of the situation following a 3-2 win in Bergamo, yet the club then confirmed on Thursday that its number 9 has suffered an injury to his left thigh.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Fresh from the success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton has played down reports he is set to work with Warner Bros again on a reboot of its 1958 classic Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman which is in development at the studio.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play down 
Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Campbell’s opposite number on Thursday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, also played down the importance of Gibbs’ misstep.
—Andy Scholes, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
Ancelotti tried to play down the seriousness of the situation following a 3-2 win in Bergamo, yet the club then confirmed on Thursday that its number 9 has suffered an injury to his left thigh.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Fresh from the success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton has played down reports he is set to work with Warner Bros again on a reboot of its 1958 classic Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman which is in development at the studio.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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Both cases were dismissed following Trump's reelection in November due to a longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president.Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2025
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She was dismissed in June 2024 after a run of seven games without a win.Asif Burhan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Patient recruitment, a common bottleneck, is significantly improved with AI, which analyzes eligibility criteria and patient demographics to quickly identify and assemble suitable participants, minimizing dropouts and delays.Ariel Katz, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Through its Predictive Models that anticipate market trends, UME Tech empowers businesses to adopt effective strategies but minimize marketing expenses.Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And one Ukrainian crew turned their eight-wheeled Stryker infantry fighting vehicle into a weapon—and ran down, and over, at least one hapless Russian soldier trying to dodge on foot.David Axe, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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Quartz’s Bruce Gil runs down the most recent developments.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Insiders have been downplaying the likelihood of Newcastle being busy on the incoming front for months and the window has matched those expectations.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
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Others have downplayed the effects the recent wildfires could have on insurers’ presence in the state.Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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He was talked down in most of the cases by cabinet secretaries and lawyers — until the advent of the coronavirus.Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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People want to be inspired by their president, not talked down to.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Jean-Baptiste, her mouth set in a tight-lipped frown, her eyes ablaze with fear and loathing, soft-pedals nothing.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
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The movie One of the darkest true stories on this list, An American Crime never undersells or soft-pedals the ceaseless agony of Likens’ ordeal.Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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That’s a trend that’s stayed steady throughout the season to the point that any upward regression expected by the model has diminished.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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Maryland faltered for the first time, a loss that dims but shouldn’t diminish its impressive start as its ceiling comes clearer into focus.Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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During the first nine months of 2024, lenders wrote off more than $46 billion in seriously delinquent credit card loans, according to a report from the Financial Times citing data analyzed by BankRegData.Bill Hardekopf, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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Many of us wrote off the Nittany Lions after their familiar-looking 20-13 home loss to Ohio State on Nov. 2, the program’s eighth straight defeat to the Buckeyes.Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near play down
Cite this Entry
“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20down. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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