as in to minimize
to reduce in apparent importance
he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success
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Recent Examples of downplay
At the time, the campaign was trying to downplay its association with Project 2025, a comprehensive policy initiative that aimed to expand executive power and had amassed a list of thousands of potential hires in service of that goal.
—
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
The move prompted an outcry for more transparency among Republicans, even as Trump appeared to downplay it as old news.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 17 July 2025
Unconscious bias against people of a particular race or socioeconomic status could also lead a provider to more readily downplay certain patients’ claims of pain, Dr. Murphy says.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 July 2025
The senior State Department official downplayed the study.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
The move prompted an outcry for more transparency among Republicans, even as Trump appeared to downplay it as old news.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 17 July 2025
Unconscious bias against people of a particular race or socioeconomic status could also lead a provider to more readily downplay certain patients’ claims of pain, Dr. Murphy says.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 July 2025
The senior State Department official downplayed the study.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for downplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplay
Verb
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Here are tips on how to stay safe during a thunderstorm: To minimize risk of being struck by lightning, when going outside, have a plan to get to a safer place.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 July 2025
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The smell will fade overtime as the blinds begin to dry, but diluting vinegar with water helps minimize the potency of the scent.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
Verb
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The felony charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can't be refiled.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
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In previous cycles, price booms were often dismissed as driven by hype, memes, and momentum.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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In 2024, Paul Weiss didn’t soft-pedal its liberal leanings.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2025
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Goldberg Tuesday scoffed at the denials and efforts to soft-pedal the extent and potential danger of the breach.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplay. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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