downplaying

verb

present participle of downplay
as in minimizing
to reduce in apparent importance he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of downplaying Much like Big Tobacco was forced to admit that cigarettes can cause cancer or Purdue Pharma was forced to stop downplaying the risks of OxyContin, this agreement now puts Meta’s core products in a negative light. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 One of Gates’ most striking claims, though, is that tech leaders are knowingly downplaying AI’s risks because of the money involved. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026 At the same time, O'Neill said, Meta's executives were downplaying or denying the addictiveness of the platforms. — John Ruwitch, NPR, 18 Aug. 2026 But the professional class on Wall Street is downplaying that outcome. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 But legendary women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma is downplaying the entire conversation. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 In Senate hearings, Paul has repeatedly accused Fauci of downplaying the theory that the virus emerged from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan rather than jumping from animals to humans naturally. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 The American Academy of Pediatrics has accused federal leaders of downplaying the risk of measles and offering misinformation about the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella. — Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 He was called to testify as a witness at Rubiales’ criminal trial in February 2025, where prosecutors sought jail time over the kiss and alleged efforts to pressure Hermoso into downplaying it. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downplaying
  1. minimizing
  2. dismissing
Verb
  • What makes a roster a championship roster is scheming by accentuating the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The yearlong closure allowed the park district to address multiple infrastructure needs at once, minimizing the disruption that would have resulted from completing the work over several seasons, according to officials.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of minimizing
Verb
  • William Roberson Anyone dismissing the Slingshot (in any form) on practicality grounds is missing the point by a light year or two - the Slingshot makes a Miata seem like a spacious minivan.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissing

Browse Nearby Words

downplayed
downplaying
downplays
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Cite this Entry

“Downplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downplaying. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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