Meaning & use
downplay
To make something seem less important or serious than it actually is.
See it in a sentence
The company tried to downplay the data breach in its public statement.
He downplayed his role in the project, giving credit to his teammates instead.
A note on using this word
Downplay is often used when someone deliberately reduces the perceived seriousness of bad news or a mistake, sometimes to avoid blame.
Words with a similar meaning
minimizeunderstate
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
emphasizeexaggerate
Make it your own
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