play down

verb

played down; playing down; plays down
Synonyms of play downnext

transitive verb

: to attach little importance to : minimize
He humbly played down his role in the research.

Examples of play down in a Sentence

out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve
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.
The host nation won comfortably despite playing down a man from the 64th minute on. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 Even for the Kremlin, which often plays down painful setbacks, the stark reality has become hard to sidestep. Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 29 June 2026 Comcast executives on the analyst call played down the notion that the two companies were being positioned for another deal. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Senegal has pressured Iraq, which is again playing down a man, but hasn't had many quality chances on net. Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for play down

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of play down was in 1930

Cite this Entry

“Play down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20down. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

play down

verb
: to attach little importance to : minimize

More from Merriam-Webster on play down

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster