How to Use downplay in a Sentence

downplay

verb
Definition of downplaynext
Synonyms for downplaynext
  • Athletes often downplay their injuries.
  • In the short term, Putin may see it as the best way to downplay the crisis and move on.
    — Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, Foreign Affairs, 6 July 2023
  • These folks just look good, and there’s no point in trying to downplay that.
    — Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 6 Aug. 2023
  • That’s even as he’s downplayed the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
    — Steve Peoples, Brendan Farrington and Kat Stafford, Anchorage Daily News, 27 July 2023
  • That subplot may end in heartbreak, yet none of it is downplayed.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023
  • Some activists and former aides have tried to downplay their plans.
    — Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024
  • Yuma has been wise not to downplay its heritage in its quest for the trendy tourist dollar.
    — Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024
  • But the singer/TV host was eager to point out, rather than downplay, the parts of the album that are most harrowing for her.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Apr. 2023
  • Quinton Cooley led the Flames with 79 yards and had the best breakout of the game on 41-yard rush in the third quarter, but the run game was downplayed for the first time this season.
    — Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2024
  • The deaths come as reports began emerging that Hawaii may have downplayed the threat of wildfires in Maui.
    — Justin Klawans, The Week, 13 Aug. 2023
  • Even good movies about writers often downplay the hard part—their work.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2023
  • With history on their side, the Heat downplayed any level of concern.
    — Hayden Bird, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023
  • In fact, downplaying the harms of slavery is a common theme in PragerU’s content.
    — Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2023
  • That is one of the principal reasons, if not the principal reason, Kate has sought to downplay the surgery.
    — Brie Stimson, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2024
  • Disney downplayed questions of whether the deal would have lasting impacts.
    — Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
  • However, Christie appeared to take shots at Haley and downplay her chances in a hot mic moment on his way out.
    — Jay Cost, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024
  • But there is a tension in the Kremlin’s efforts to downplay the war and promote a sense of normality.
    — Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Cohen’s lawyers from Vinson & Elkins downplayed that case in their motion to dismiss the Bed Bath class action.
    — Rob Wile, NBC News, 31 July 2023
  • Schools Minister Gibb also downplayed the scale of the issue.
    — Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
  • In her younger years, Espinosa said, she had long been conditioned to downplay her own hunger and ambition.
    — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
  • Sources close to Taylor-Johnson, however, downplayed the report and said he has not been cast as Bond.
    — Michaela Zee, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
  • Levin also downplays his own success over the past half-century.
    — Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Even as the two sides have moved closer to the bargaining table, the WGA has sought to downplay expectations for a speedy resolution to the strike.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Biden earlier downplayed the consequences of the leaks.
    — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023
  • Biden and Xi have not spoken since last year's G20 summit, and Biden downplayed his counterpart's absence.
    — USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
  • The family rarely talked about Rudolf, preferring to hide their connection to the infamous Nazi and downplay his crimes.
    — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
  • Microsoft, for its part, has time and again tried to downplay the deal’s significance to the gaming industry to push it through.
    — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 17 July 2023
  • Reluctant to overstate the risk, however, Kayes downplayed the recent job cuts in tech.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Jan. 2024
  • Both Kelce and Reid downplayed the incident after the game but declined to repeat exactly what Kelce had said.
    — Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Every team around the league is aware of how those games can become a trap for an overconfident group that tries to downplay the competition.
    — Shane Young, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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