PLAYS DOWN Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

plays down

verb

present tense third-person singular of play down

as in dismisses

to express scornfully one's low opinion of out of sheer envy, she would always play down her sister's accomplishments

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in minimizes

to reduce in apparent importance if you play down your part in the project, you won't get the credit you deserve

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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 plays down So there’s a chance to get some plays down the field for the Panthers. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026 If any lingering question of home-court advantage persisted, it was made crystal clear in the final 30 seconds who had the biggest backing, as Barclays erupted in celebration of the Liberty’s game-winning plays down the stretch. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Wang plays down the potential for renegade robots to wreak havoc. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 July 2026 Even for the Kremlin, which often plays down painful setbacks, the stark reality has become hard to sidestep. — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 29 June 2026 Rhy made some huge plays down the stretch. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 10 June 2026 But, powered by veteran guard CJ McCollum and some gutsy defensive plays down the stretch, the Hawks won 107-106 to even the series at one game apiece. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026 The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026 Santos, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Warriors win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, made several big plays down the stretch. — ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays down

Verb

If your team is afraid to name real weaknesses, or if leadership dismisses uncomfortable truths, the analysis won’t do what it’s meant to do.

— Nancy Padberg, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Risks, but not existential ones Not everyone dismisses the risk quite so bluntly, though.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismisses

Verb

It's also supported by Nvidia's G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium, which also minimizes gameplay latency, ensuring responsive feedback.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
The articles by Davidson and Craven in this sense exemplify a broader transphobic trend in the UK legacy media that minimizes or omits reference to the suffering of trans people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of minimizes

Verb

There’s a marshy creek that runs down the west side of the property, and that creekbottom transitions to a 100-yard-wide stretch of hardwoods that border a hayfield.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Italy‘s Rai has bought the Fox and Fremantle reboot starring Stephen Amell, Brooks Nader and Noah Beck after its first window deal with Prime Video Italy runs down.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of runs down

Verb

Oeffling humbly downplays the appeal of his music, which has a familiar, early 2000s aesthetic that sounds indebted to the spirit of Yo La Tengo and Broken Social Scene, as well as contemporaries like Alex G.

— Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Analysts suggest this may reflect that as the Fed gradually downplays forward guidance, market sensitivity to Fed wording—as well as the Fed's overall influence over markets—could be waning.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of downplays

Verb

Pyrad works by instantaneously thickening when exposed to fire, forming a char that diminishes heat exposure, extinguishes flames, and decreases the risk of third-degree burns.

— Derek Rose, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
By effectively raising the threshold in the playoffs, the NFL acknowledges that over-officiating diminishes the product and that marginal penalties should not decide its most important games.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026