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, Rosenior sought to play down Fernandez's remarks, saying the midfielder is "committed" and the comments were "misconstrued" following an emotional defeat.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Third is the post-meeting press conference, where Fed Chair Jerome Powell can amplify or play down whatever signals emerge from the other two.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

European officials sought to play down the risks of an imminent supply disruption, while economists said higher prices shouldn’t do too much economic harm if the conflict ends soon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Cirstea was keen to play down the row in her post-match press conference, insisting there was "no drama".

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

When he was little, he used to play down here with Robb and Jon and his sisters.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

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