1
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minimizing
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 playing down
The host nation won comfortably despite playing down a man from the 64th minute on.
—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 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
Ohtani was out of the lineup for the series opener against the Orioles, but the Dodgers did not opt to put him on the paternity list, temporarily playing down a player instead.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Their forward depth with (Nikolaj) Ehlers playing down the lineup has been a huge strength.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
But after his early doom-laden predictions, Altman may now be an outlier among industry leaders in playing down the impact on work.
—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
26 May 2026
The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.
—
Apress,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
After a week of playing down to – and then slightly lower than – their last-place opponents, the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 victory on Wednesday night.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Sep. 2025
There’s usually a physical requirement, as well as severely playing down the high-wattage glamor that got you on red carpets in the first place.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 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
Ohtani was out of the lineup for the series opener against the Orioles, but the Dodgers did not opt to put him on the paternity list, temporarily playing down a player instead.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Their forward depth with (Nikolaj) Ehlers playing down the lineup has been a huge strength.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
But after his early doom-laden predictions, Altman may now be an outlier among industry leaders in playing down the impact on work.
—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
26 May 2026
The azul and chrome won the round of 16 opener 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, holding on despite playing down one man for the most of the match and down two men for the final minutes of regulation and all of stoppage time.
—
Apress,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
After a week of playing down to – and then slightly lower than – their last-place opponents, the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 victory on Wednesday night.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Sep. 2025
There’s usually a physical requirement, as well as severely playing down the high-wattage glamor that got you on red carpets in the first place.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing down
Verb
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Integration Calling genomics the most powerful data asset in biopharma does not mean dismissing other data types.
-
For now, Comcast is dismissing M&A talk, but there also is the matter of timing.
Verb
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The end goal should not be minimizing the number of systems per se, but rather making sure those systems can be adjusted and integrated quickly to keep up with changing business demands.
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Under the former, the priority is to continue providing water and wastewater services while minimizing creditor losses and restructuring the company so a new owner can be found.
Verb
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Kaishu Sano stole a pass in the middle of the field and then did the rest, running down the middle of the pitch before burying a right-footed strike into the left side of the goal, his first score in international play.
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Have fun walking up and running down the dunes with your pup, but be mindful of the heat and elevation to avoid overdoing it.
Verb
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But critics have accused them of downplaying the risks.
-
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted Wednesday that the opening could be delayed while downplaying any concerns.
Verb
-
Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.
-
During his remarks, Beshear accused Vance, whose memoir explores issues such as poverty and the lack of opportunity in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, of talking down to the people of Kentucky.
Verb
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Others expressed concerns about diminishing Black voting power.
-
Movies Are Good, Actually By Michael O’Donnell A film critic’s new book attacks the medium for diminishing culture.
Verb
-
But as his brace against Uzbekistan showed, writing off Ronaldo remains a dangerous mistake.
-
So, before writing off a sluggish job candidate search as a market issue, take a hard look at the listing itself, from the title to the requirements, the compensation and the hiring process.
Cite this Entry
“Playing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20down. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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