play down

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to make little or light of; minimize the importance of

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play down Idioms  

1. Make little of, minimize the importance of, as in A skillful salesman plays down the drawbacks of the product and emphasizes its good features . [First half of 1900s]

2. play down to . Lower one's standards to meet the demands of someone, as in Some stand-up comics deliberately play down to the vulgar taste of their audiences . [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

However, Villa boss Emery said to "be a contender in front of them" is not "our reality" as he played down title talk and urged his players to "continue to be humble".

From BBC

The White House has played down ideological differences with Beijing, putting economics and trade as a priority in the relationship in a national-security strategy published this month.

From The Wall Street Journal

In early November, before the construction delays were widely discussed, Intrator played down fears of an AI bubble at a Wall Street Journal event in Northern California.

From The Wall Street Journal

Miran also played down concerns that tariffs are contributing to inflation.

From Barron's

In an interview this week, Hassett played down speculation that he was the presumptive favorite in betting markets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• belittle
• gloss over
• minimize
• mute
• soft pedal
• soften
• underplay