play down

Related to play down: play out, Playing Around, playing to the gallery

play down

To make something seem less important or remarkable. The pharmaceutical company tried to play down the harmful side effects of its new medication. We need to play down the presence of microtransactions in the game and focus more on the gameplay itself in our marketing.
See also: down, play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

play someone or something down

to lessen the effect or importance of someone or something. John is a famous actor, but the director tried to play him down as just another member of the cast. Her lawyer tried to play down her earlier arrest.
See also: down, play
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

play down

1. Make little of, minimize the importance of, as in A skillful salesman plays down the drawbacks of the product and emphasizes its good features . [First half of 1900s]
2. play down to. Lower one's standards to meet the demands of someone, as in Some stand-up comics deliberately play down to the vulgar taste of their audiences. [Late 1800s]
See also: down, play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

play down

v.
To minimize something or the importance of something: She played down the importance of her own research and credited her colleagues instead. When the reporters asked the mayor about the city's growing debt, she played it down, assuring them that she would not raise taxes.
See also: down, play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • make (something) seem like a picnic
  • soften the blow
  • tamper
  • tamper with
  • tamper with (something)
  • leave (someone, something, or oneself) (wide) open to (something)
  • leave open
  • leave yourself wide open to something
  • chainsaw
  • a/(one's) brush with (something)
References in periodicals archive
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The media, so it seems, have gone out of their way to play down the central role played by Islamic fervour, as he points out the "ideology of choice for the world's disaffected."
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It was also why he was quick to play down his own two-try contribution to last Saturday's avenging 38-12 rout of the Kiwis which blew the tournament wide open.
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One of the problems with Anglocentric historians is that they fail to acknowledge (or else play down) the close connection between Britain and Germany before 1837: George III was not only King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, but Elector of Hanover, and therefore a major figure in the Holy Roman Empire.
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Stewart and Kyle seemed below par but some of the play down the left between Arca and Downing was a joy.
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And Kenwright admits: ``I did a radio interview the other day and I tried to play down Rooney, but it is hard.
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Today the Mirror reveals how Whitehall officials rewrote a letter SEVEN TIMES to play down the inquiry head's links with a Tory grandee at the centre of the scandal.
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Summary: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has attempted to play down a remarkable touchline bust-up with Everton counterpart David Moyes.
Mancini plays down touchline bust-up
While the media generally play down the Muslim origins of terror, a few brave Muslims have stepped forward to acknowledge it; perhaps the most notable is Abdel Rahman al-Rashin, an Arab journalist, who had the courage to write these words in an Arabic newspaper:
Naming the enemy