The difference between Downplay and Understate
When used as verbs, downplay means to de-emphasize, whereas understate means to state (something) with less completeness than needed.
check bellow for the other definitions of Downplay and Understate
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Downplay as a verb (transitive):
To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
Examples:
"He would sometimes downplay his Princeton education by saying simply that he went to school in New Jersey."
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Understate as a verb (transitive):
To state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.
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Understate as a verb (transitive):
To state (something) with a lack of emphasis, in order to express irony.
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Understate as a verb:
To state a quantity that is too low.