downplay

[ doun-pley ]
See synonyms for: downplaydownplayeddownplaying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to treat or speak of (something) so as to reduce emphasis on its importance, value, strength, etc.: The press has downplayed the president's role in the negotiations.

Origin of downplay

1
1950–55; down1 + play, from verb phrase play down

Words Nearby downplay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use downplay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for downplay

downplay

/ (ˈdaʊnˌpleɪ) /


verb
  1. (tr) to play down; make little of

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012