English verb: play down | |||
1. | play down (change) understate the importance or quality of | ||
Samples | He played down his royal ancestry. | ||
Synonyms | background, downplay | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | accent, accentuate, emphasise, emphasize, punctuate, stress | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | soft-pedal, wave off | ||
Antonyms | foreground, highlight, play up, spotlight | ||