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downplay

[doun-pley] / ˈdaʊnˌpleɪ /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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On Tuesday’s edition of “The Five,” co-host Jesse Watters tried to downplay the boos.

From Salon Jun. 11, 2026

The otter swim instructors say they were told to downplay the bites as “just animal things” and to offer Neosporin and a bandaid.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 2, 2026

The strong desire to remain at home can lead owners to downplay future expenses and assume things will somehow “work out.”

From MarketWatch Apr. 15, 2026

"It makes sense to downplay the overall financial exposure so investors don't leave," Eric Goldman, an associate dean and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law in Silicon Valley, told the BBC.

From BBC Mar. 27, 2026

Sam is not a good actress, but I do appreciate that she’s trying to downplay this trip.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

And Attia largely downplays the risks of overtesting, which can lead to both false positives and the detection of markers that will never develop into life-threatening disease.

From Slate Feb. 26, 2026

However, analysts believe China downplays how much it spends on defence.

From BBC Mar. 5, 2025

What is new, among Beach Boys documentaries, is the tone, which does not linger on the sensational episodes and downplays the squabbling to emphasize the love.

From Los Angeles Times May 24, 2024

The headline on Worthmore’s piece downplays some of the questions raised.

From Seattle Times Apr. 3, 2024

But Mr Lanza downplays that possibility because this team knows Mr Trump so well.

From BBC Nov. 3, 2023

Investigators, reported the Times, downplayed the possibility that the five Croats had been involved in the attack.

From Slate Jul. 7, 2026

Warsh downplayed the usefulness of the Fed’s public forecasts, declined to submit one himself, and argued that markets perform best when reacting to economic data rather than interpreting Fed signals.

From Barron's Jun. 22, 2026

Warsh has downplayed the role of individual reports, saying trends will matter more than a single data point.

From MarketWatch Jun. 19, 2026

Pratt has downplayed his party affiliation, pointing out that the mayor’s race is nonpartisan.

From Los Angeles Times May 21, 2026

They downplayed the event to such a degree that the day carried on as usual, though Lazlo felt as though he’d left “usual” behind forever.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

“I think people are downplaying the significance of Nimbyism in this country right now,” Purohit said, adding that companies looking to sell this summer will be scrutinized for how they plan to handle it.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Rama has pivoted between downplaying the protesters as misinformed and dismissing the movement as foreign-backed.

From Barron's Jun. 12, 2026

But there was no downplaying by England manager Sarina Wiegman, who said Hampton's saves against Iceland were "crucial" to securing the victory.

From BBC Apr. 18, 2026

Activists have long accused the government of downplaying the issue.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 6, 2026

Media accounts persistently bright-side the situation, highlighting the occasional success stories and downplaying the acknowledged increase in hunger.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich




Vocabulary lists containing downplay


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