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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play down
Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian prime minister, Albin Kurti, in an interview in Pristina, played down the importance of religion to Albanian identity.
—
Fatjona Mejdini, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
He’s got that ability to help a team on the offensive side of it, especially playing down low in the offensive zone.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 19 Dec. 2024
Reports linking Manchester City’s James McAtee have been played down.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
However, the Benetton group cut ties with him in 2020 after comments that played down the significance of the 2018 Morandi Bridge disaster which killed 43 people.
—Reuters, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for play down 
Fatjona Mejdini, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
He’s got that ability to help a team on the offensive side of it, especially playing down low in the offensive zone.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 19 Dec. 2024
Reports linking Manchester City’s James McAtee have been played down.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
However, the Benetton group cut ties with him in 2020 after comments that played down the significance of the 2018 Morandi Bridge disaster which killed 43 people.
—Reuters, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for play down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play down
Verb
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But in October, 2023, Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar, whose office prosecutes crimes across the county, decided to drop charges after a motion to dismiss was filed by the defense.—
Alex Malm,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Despite the positive identifications, prosecutors dismissed the murder case against Walton six months after the preliminary hearing.—
Jakob Rodgers,
The Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The pilots were found to have violated federal regulations that require them to minimize conversation at critical moments of the flight, among other issues.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2025
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The padded insole offers support and comfort for hours of walking, and the skid-resistant outsole minimizes slipping.—
Ali Faccenda,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Bates was no longer running down sidelines to knock the cleats off kick returners.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2025
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Parton added a contrasting tone, wearing a white jacket with three-quarter length sleeves, sharp lapels, a plunging neckline and gold button accents on the cuffs and running down the front placket atop a bow detailing at the base of the piece.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Despite this, Trump has downplayed climate change's role.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
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But on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Kelce downplayed talk about stepping up his game in the playoffs.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 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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And so my part was always diminished in his presence.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
2 Feb. 2025
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However, as time progresses, intimacy can diminish, leading to a sense of disconnection.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The sport has never been afraid to try new things as a way to entertain the fans, and although not every experiment has been a raging success, others cannot be written off as failures.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Jan. 2025
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Here's what could come next Trump also wrote off the concerns over the app sharing data with the Chinese government.—
Michelle Stoddart,
ABC News,
20 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 9 Feb. 2025.
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