The antonyms for the word "underscore" are to minimize, reduce, diminish, decrease, downplay, de-emphasize, play down, and belittle. These words describe the opposite actions of emphasizing or highlighting something. When you underscore something, you are drawing attention to it, making it more prominent or important. However, when you minimize or decrease something, you make it less significant or noteworthy. Downplaying or de-emphasizing something means that you are deliberately making it less noticeable or significant. Using antonyms to underscore can help balance the emphasis in your writing, making it more nuanced and reflective of the true complexity of the topic at hand.