From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishunderplayun‧der‧play /ˌʌndəˈpleɪ $ -ər-/ verb [transitive] SEEMto make something seem less important or less serious than it really is SYN play down OPP overplay She underplays her achievements.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
underplay• Rarely is any news story ever underplayed.• For once he was underplaying his hand.• Whatever his motives, Salah was careful to underplay the contribution education might make to the emancipation and liberation of women.• For in looking back she underplayed the impact of feminist discourses on the repeal struggle.• Even if the latest Catholic reforms underplay the offertory ritual, it is not of itself without meaning or challenge.• The standard third-world prescription heavily underplays the role of private property.• Never underplay the Tory party's ruthlessness towards a limping leader, we were told.• McQueen seems to inspire Hoffman to underplay, too. 