de-emphasize (verb)

1. The minimalist design of the house de-emphasizes ornamentation and focuses on clean lines and natural materials.

2. In her love letter, she chose to de-emphasize her own feelings and instead emphasized the importance of their bond.

3. Using muted colors and subtle brushstrokes, the artist was able to de-emphasize the background and draw attention to the central figure.

4. To create comedic effect, the cartoonist decided to de-emphasize the size of the character's nose, making it appear smaller than usual.