play down

British  

verb

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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

The Vatican had previously sought to play down reports of a cafe on the terrace, which had sparked anger about the potential commercialisation of a sacred place.

From Barron's

On Saturday, Durant played down that controversy, but also the game itself.

From Barron's

Black bar owners were early adopters and patrons called it the jukebox, the music machine playing down at the “juke joint.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Last month, a Goldman spokesman played down the gifts, saying: "It's well known that Epstein often offered unsolicited favours and gifts to his many business contacts."

From BBC

Shares in AppLovin slid 20% even after the advertising software company sought to play down AI worries as it released earnings.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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