play down
• represent something as being less important than it in fact is.
• "he tried to play down the seriousness of his illness"
Similar:
make light of,
make little/nothing of,
set little/no store by,
gloss over,
de-emphasize,
underemphasize,
downplay,
understate,
underplay,
minimize,
shrug off,
soft-pedal,
tone down,
diminish,
downgrade,
trivialize,
detract from,
underrate,
underestimate,
undervalue,
think little of,
disparage,
decry,
deprecate,
talk down,
belittle,
slight,
scoff at,
sneer at,
pooh-pooh,
derogate,
playdown
noun
• a game or match forming part of a play-off.
