[Grammar] play

[oldlearner50]

Hi

I needs help for the following:

The results were very poor but the management is trying to play them away / play them down / play them out / play them up.

What is the meaning of:
play them away
play them down
play them out
play them up

Thank you.

old learners

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi

I needs help for the following:

The results were very poor but the management is trying to play them away / play them down / play them out / play them up.

What is the meaning of:
play them away
play them down
play them out
play them up

Thank you.

old learners

To play away - slang for "to have an extra-marital affair", or, in sport, to play a match at a different venue than your own.

To play down - to make something seem less important than it is

To play out - to follow a course of action through to the end, or (in British English) to play games in the street.

To play up - to behave badly

I hope this helps you to choose the correct answer to the question!

 

[euncu]

SOURCE:Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary

play someone or something down
to lessen the effect or importance of someone or something.

John is a famous actor, but the director tried to play him down as just another member of the cast.
Her lawyer tried to play down her earlier arrest.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
----------
play down something also play something down
to try to make something seem less serious than it really is

He played down the seriousness of his condition because he didn't want anyone to worry.
It's a sensitive issue, and they want to play it down until after the elections.

Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
To play down fits in your sentence. To play up is the opposite of playing down.

 

[emsr2d2]

SOURCE:Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary

play someone or something down
to lessen the effect or importance of someone or something.

John is a famous actor, but the director tried to play him down as just another member of the cast.
Her lawyer tried to play down her earlier arrest.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
----------
play down something also play something down
to try to make something seem less serious than it really is

He played down the seriousness of his condition because he didn't want anyone to worry.
It's a sensitive issue, and they want to play it down until after the elections.

Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
To play down fits in your sentence. To play up is the opposite of playing down.

This is true, but I was trying not to simply give the original poster the answer to the question!!! He asked for the definitions of the 4 choices and it should have then been for him to try to work out which one fitted!