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

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

But he tried to play down the incident, saying the tree was no bigger than a shrub.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Sir Keir sought to play down the rift on Monday, adding that American and British security officials were "working together every single day, as they always have".

From BBC • Mar. 9, 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

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