as in minimizing
to reduce in apparent importance
he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
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Recent Examples of downplaying
Musk has been downplaying the bad numbers by trying to shift investors’ focus to Tesla’s other business of making robots and advances in the artificial intelligence behind its cars and robotaxis.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
The bond market got to this mode of downplaying inflation and embracing a dovish Fed phase before the CPI hit.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
But these remarks provoked a backlash online, with victims and experts accusing the president of downplaying domestic abuse.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Reclaiming Agency By Managing Your Online Presence Intentionally downplaying appearance by using unfiltered photos or presenting themselves more modestly than in real life can help users filter out people who are only interested in surface-level attraction.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Kirk’s good at downplaying his interest in seeing La’an again.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the Defense Secretary (Jared Harris) who has been downplaying this event is feeling the pressure, and carries the burden that his daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) is in Chicago.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Insha Rahman, vice president for advocacy and partnerships at the progressive Vera Institute of Justice, addressed DNC members during a strategy session, downplaying concerns about violent crime tied to migrants and carjackings.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2025
Is Atari downplaying Adventure's influence?
—PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
The bond market got to this mode of downplaying inflation and embracing a dovish Fed phase before the CPI hit.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
But these remarks provoked a backlash online, with victims and experts accusing the president of downplaying domestic abuse.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Reclaiming Agency By Managing Your Online Presence Intentionally downplaying appearance by using unfiltered photos or presenting themselves more modestly than in real life can help users filter out people who are only interested in surface-level attraction.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Kirk’s good at downplaying his interest in seeing La’an again.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the Defense Secretary (Jared Harris) who has been downplaying this event is feeling the pressure, and carries the burden that his daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) is in Chicago.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Insha Rahman, vice president for advocacy and partnerships at the progressive Vera Institute of Justice, addressed DNC members during a strategy session, downplaying concerns about violent crime tied to migrants and carjackings.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2025
Is Atari downplaying Adventure's influence?
—PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplaying
Verb
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Like many of my favorite picks, these boots also utilize a wide toe box, minimizing blisters and maximizing comfort.—
Alice Bennett,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Sep. 2025
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This approach allows your team to learn and adapt, minimizing disruption for end users and ensuring a smoother transition.—
Rajat Bhargava,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The panel, which Kennedy reshaped earlier this year by dismissing its members and appointing some vaccine skeptics, will convene Thursday and Friday in Atlanta.—
Adeola Adeosun
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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An Arizona inmate tricked court officials into releasing him more than two decades early by filing fake orders allegedly dismissing his charges.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplaying. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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