Synonyms for downplay
Most common
underplay minimize de-emphasize belittle play down background
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Underplay
underplay, minimize, minimise UK, de-emphasize, deemphasise UK, belittle, trivialize, trivialise UK, understate, make nothing of, make little of, deprecate, derogate, dispraise, banalize, banalise UK, denigrate, underestimate, disparage, degrade, bagatellize rare
2. Background
Other
undertone, dial back, soft-pedal, set at naught, sandbag, soap, lilliputianize
Definitions
- v. 1
To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
Forms
- Past participle
- downplayed
e.g. downplayed → underplayed, minimized, de-emphasized, belittled…
Example sentences
- minimize I want to minimize the chances of another accident.
- belittle Why do you have to belittle people all the time?
By length
- 4 letters
- soap1
- 7 letters
- degrade2, sandbag2
- 8 letters
- minimize3, minimise, belittle3, derogate, banalize, banalise
- 9 letters
- denigrate3, disparage3, undertone3, deprecate3, underplay3, dispraise
- 10 letters
- background2, understate3, trivialize4, trivialise
- 11 letters
- deemphasise, bagatellize
- 13 letters
- underestimate5
- 14 letters
- lilliputianize
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (degrade2 = 2 syllables).