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downplay JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU

/daʊnˈpleɪ/ · down·play
verb
  1. To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential. He would sometimes downplay his Princeton education by saying simply that he went to school in New Jersey.
  2. To minimize or reduce the significance of something. The company downplayed the risks associated with the new product to avoid scaring off investors.
noun
  1. The act of downplaying something. The company's downplay of the product's risks was seen as dishonest by many investors.
Did you know? The phrase 'downplay' has been used in various contexts, including politics and business, where it is often used to describe the act of minimizing or reducing the significance of a particular issue or problem.
Written by Lexi Wordsworth, Dictionary Editor 0 lookups Added Jul 17, 2026