downplay
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.
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
“And in the absence of a definite statement from Iran there is a tendency to downplay comments from the U.S. administration.”
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
McSweeney also sought to downplay claims about Lord Mandelson's influence over the current Labour government, arguing that while he would offer up advice he was far from the only figure to do this.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The court tried to downplay this point by saying that it is just a “poster” and therefore lacks any coercive effect.
From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026
The term used by linguists to describe what Klotz was engaging in in that moment is “mitigated speech,” which refers to any attempt to downplay or sugarcoat the meaning of what is being said.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Vocabulary lists containing downplay
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