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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.

When news of the operation broke Sunday, the Chihuahua attorney general, César Jáuregui Moreno, attempted to downplay its significance, insisting that U.S. officials did not participate in the drug raid.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 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

But Lagarde sought to downplay the similarities with that period.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

“South Korea will downplay the moving of U.S. assets to maintain a good relationship with Trump,” said Grossman, who is now a professor at the University of Southern California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

President Johnson tried to downplay the massive attack at a news conference on February 2, saying “a few bandits can do that in any city.”

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge




Vocabulary lists containing downplay


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