play down — to make something seem less important or serious than it really is
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make something seem less important or serious than it really is
Pronunciation (IPA): /pleɪ daʊn/
Example Sentences
- My mom tried to play down my terrible cooking by saying 'It's... interesting!'
- The politician played down the scandal during the press conference.
- Don't play down your achievements - getting into that university is amazing!
play down
VERB[/pleɪ daʊn/]
to make something seem less important or serious than it really is

💡 Concept
to make something seem less important or serious than it really is

🎵 Rhyme
He tries to play down the crisis, but profits lay way down!
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🎤Pronunciation
🇺🇸 US/pleɪ daʊn/
🇬🇧 UK/pleɪ daʊn/
🌳Etymology
Rootplay
Suffix-down
🎵Rhyme
lay downway downsay down
lay down
way down
say down
🔗Collocations
play down concerns
play down the importance
play down the risks
play down criticism
play down expectations
play down rumors
📝Examples
😄 Fun example
“My mom tried to play down my terrible cooking by saying 'It's... interesting!'”
“The politician played down the scandal during the press conference.”
“Don't play down your achievements - getting into that university is amazing!”
😄 Fun example
“He always plays down his wealth, but we all saw his golden toilet on Instagram.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
minimizedownplayunderstatediminishbelittle
Antonyms
exaggerateemphasizehighlight
Related
underestimatetrivializedismiss
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