de-emphasize

American  

[dee-em-fuh-sahyz] / diˈɛm fəˌsaɪz /

especially British, de-emphasise

verb (used with object)

de-emphasized, de-emphasizing

1. to place less emphasis upon; reduce in importance, size, scope, etc..

   The university de-emphasized intercollegiate football.

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de-emphasize British  

/ diːˈɛmfəˌsaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to remove emphasis from

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Etymology

Origin of de-emphasize

First recorded in 1935–40; de- + emphasize

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

de-emphasize de-emphasized de-emphasizing

Her refusal to de-emphasize her Tennessee accent or downplay her assets endeared her to a wide audience, along with her unsinkable pride in her country roots.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Success will likely require heavy investment in the core brands, along with tough choices to divest or de-emphasize others.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

Lockheed stock was flat over that span, with investors worried that militaries would de-emphasize their manned fighter jets in favor of lower-cost autonomous systems.

From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026

McLennan explained that the fund will, at times, de-emphasize gold and load up more on stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 27, 2026

Some intellectual revolution must come which will de-emphasize business and industry and re-emphasize most other ways of self-expression.

From An American Idyll The Life of Carleton H. Parker by Cornelia Stratton Parker

You’ve written about how El-Sayed has sometimes de-emphasized his faith even as his opponents try to center it.

From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026

Leagues were de-emphasized in favor of open bowling, parties and corporate events.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

For years, schools taught reading using approaches that de-emphasized phonics and encouraged strategies such as guessing words based on context clues.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

Investors were “lulled to sleep by the long period of time without inflation shocks” and de-emphasized exposure to sectors that provide inflation protection, such as energy, notes Murray.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

In almost all cases, the tests measure strictly math and reading skills, so even science and history have been de-emphasized.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

European defense stocks have weakened of late, partly in response to suggestions of a more lasting cease-fire, but Morgan Stanley recommended caution about de-emphasizing defense plays.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

The company has been de-emphasizing debt sales this year, viewing preferred as a better financing option because it doesn’t need to be repaid.

From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025

Boeing long built aircraft with pilots at the center of their design philosophy, de-emphasizing automation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

He has appeased both sides of the gay rights conversation by presenting himself as neither a reformer nor a reactionary, de-emphasizing the issue overall.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2025

More broadly, scientific research does exist that supports the value of teaching the arts and humanities—and the perils of de-emphasizing them.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

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