underplay

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: un=der=play

CIDE DICTIONARY

underplay, v. i. 

•  To play in a subordinate, or in an inferior manner; to underact a part.  [1913 Webster]
•  To play a low card when holding a high one, in the hope of a future advantage.  [1913 Webster]

underplay, n. 

 The act of underplaying.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

underplay, v.
1 tr. play down the importance of.
2 intr. & tr. Theatr. a perform with deliberate restraint. b underact.

THESAURUS

underplay

abate, allay, alleviate, assuage, attemper, bank the fire, bedwarf, belittle, blunt, chasten, constrain, control, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deprecate, depreciate, detract from, diminish, downplay, dull, dwarf, extenuate, keep within bounds, lay, lenify, lessen, lighten, make light of, make little of, make nothing of, minify, minimize, mitigate, moderate, modulate, obtund, palliate, play down, reduce, reduce the temperature, restrain, set at naught, set little by, slacken, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soften, stifle, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, think little of, think nothing of, tone down, tune down, weaken