PLAYED DOWN Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

played down

verb

past tense of play down

as in dismissed

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

as in minimized

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of played down With the Kroenke deal, the Angels will plug into a much larger sports and media ecosystem that should benefit the team that has always played down the road in Orange County in the shadow of the region’s beloved Los Angeles Dodgers franchise. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 But Blanche played down concerns that the erosion of judicial trust could impede his efforts to advance his agenda. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Miami coach Mario Cristobal played down preseason hype around his team. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026 The industry is one of the key drivers of Indian economic growth and middle-class expansion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played down job displacement concerns. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Iranian state television earlier played down the outcome of the Iran-Oman discussions, citing a person familiar with the matter as saying an agreement between Tehran and Muscat would not necessarily mean the strait would open immediately. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 Merseyside sources have played down suggestions of a formal bid for the Canada international, but talks have taken place between the two clubs. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Longer term, there has been speculation — which Lewis played down in February — that Diageo’s 34% stake in the champagne and cognac business Moët Hennessy may be sold to majority shareholder LVMH. — Ian King, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 Yamal has always played down the comparison, focusing instead on being the best version of himself. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for played down

Verb

Gibson Dunn, an external law firm, investigated and dismissed Love’s complaints.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
Advertisement Unfortunately, some of my academic and clinical colleagues have dismissed this approach.

— David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismissed

Verb

In this location, the telescope will rarely be blocked by Earth and infrared heat from the Earth, sun and moon is minimized.

— Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
States alleged that Meta’s internal research documented links between Instagram use and harms including depression, anxiety and body-image concerns among young people, while the company publicly minimized or concealed those risks.

— Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimized

Verb

Inside one, the individual is both multiplied and diminished.

— Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
The persuasiveness of these efforts, however, is diminished when a WRO is modified without transparency and despite readily accessible evidence indicating that conditions for the workers have not truly improved.

— Charity Ryerson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminished

Verb

Shifting emphasis moving into the general election A number of Republicans have removed or downplayed references to Trump from their websites after winning their primaries.

— Steve Peoples, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Patterson and some council members downplayed the relevance of those findings, however, saying they were dated and conducted in different cities under different circumstances.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of downplayed

Verb

Vertical stripes ran down much of the dress before shifting direction along the hem.

— Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Bleday also hit a deep drive that Arizona center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt ran down at the wall in the seventh and struck out in the ninth The 28-year-old left fielder topped his career high with the homer, his 21st of the season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026