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
Stop downplaying gifts that were meant to be seen.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
To locals, Soviet leaders seemed to be downplaying the severity of the explosion.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
But some experts are also downplaying the effect these robots could have on the war.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 22 Apr. 2026
The plaintiffs’ lawyers countered that Royal Caribbean was greatly downplaying the injuries the victims suffered.
—Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The first began when Purdue Pharma, the company controlled by members of the Sackler family, aggressively marketed new prescription painkillers while downplaying their risks and generating enormous profits.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He has also been accused of downplaying the importance of historical context in negotiations.
—Philip Wang, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
Kennedy dismissed a key panel of 17 experts that advise the CDC on its vaccine decisions, replacing them with his own picks, many of whom have emphasized the risks of vaccines while downplaying their health benefits.
—Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
But Spielberg is a pro, and handles the material well (with the exception of downplaying the lesbian aspects of the story) and the cast delivers career high performances.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
To locals, Soviet leaders seemed to be downplaying the severity of the explosion.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
But some experts are also downplaying the effect these robots could have on the war.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 22 Apr. 2026
The plaintiffs’ lawyers countered that Royal Caribbean was greatly downplaying the injuries the victims suffered.
—Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The first began when Purdue Pharma, the company controlled by members of the Sackler family, aggressively marketed new prescription painkillers while downplaying their risks and generating enormous profits.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He has also been accused of downplaying the importance of historical context in negotiations.
—Philip Wang, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
Kennedy dismissed a key panel of 17 experts that advise the CDC on its vaccine decisions, replacing them with his own picks, many of whom have emphasized the risks of vaccines while downplaying their health benefits.
—Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
But Spielberg is a pro, and handles the material well (with the exception of downplaying the lesbian aspects of the story) and the cast delivers career high performances.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplaying
Verb
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Together, LaSota and Danielson hatched a plan to convince other Rationalists to live together on boats too, with the idea of minimizing their collective living expenses in order to make more room in their lives for intellectual work — work on AI safety in particular.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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The concept de la maison is a commitment to sustainability and minimizing waste.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Federal lawyers said judges made mistakes in dismissing the cases by arguing the Civil Rights Act granted the attorney general access to local voting records.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Quit dismissing them as uneducated.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplaying. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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