downplay
verb (used with object)
to treat or speak of (something) so as to reduce emphasis on its importance, value, strength, etc..
had downplayed
-
past perfectof downplay.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In March, Levi Strauss had downplayed the impact of the Iran war.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
Patients I spoke to told me how they had downplayed their symptoms in these questionnaires.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2025
A couple years in, Moore realized Astorga had downplayed his skills and promoted him to full-time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025
Sources at "The Goldbergs" were not happy that Garlin had downplayed the stand-in confrontation, which they said was anything but light or funny.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2023
Mr Docherty said NHS England officials had downplayed tackling the problem of delayed discharge and questioned why the CQC had issued improvement notices about hospital corridor care, but not about handover delays.
From BBC ● May 25, 2022
