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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Along with pardoning some 1,500 Jan. 6 convicts, Trump’s DOJ moved to dismiss all pending Jan. 6 prosecutions in the District of Columbia.—
Nick Akerman,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Corded: no | Features: hot and cold compress, weighted, portable, microwavable Frequently Asked Questions How do heating pads help minimize cramps?—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
31 Jan. 2025
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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
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
-
Recent presidents have increasingly turned to memoranda in part to downplay their exercise of substantive unilateral action usually associated with executive orders.—
Meredith Conroy,
ABC News,
6 Feb. 2025
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The move was seen as a way to downplay Trump's fears of Chinese influence on Panama Canal.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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No, that is not Wellens’ brutal honesty coming to the fore by talking down City with potentially inflammatory comments ahead of the big tie… that’s his wife Nicola, who will also be there on Saturday.—
Tim Spiers,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
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Unfortunately, Burleson was talking down to his audience, some who might dare to disagree with him.—
Bob Raissman,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 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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The production of melanocytes (skin cells that synthesize melanin) diminishes, leading to the appearance of gray hair.—
Marie Courtois,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Donald Trump obviously left office on a sour note in January 2021, written off by many opinion-makers and political professionals.—
Rich Lowry,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Under current Internal Revenue Service rules, such intangible assets can be written off through amortization over 15 years, even if the team remains highly profitable.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 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 13 Feb. 2025.
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