21.   At a lunch with reporters Tuesday, Ms. Tigert played down concerns that the anonymous testers might entrap bank officials into failing to disclose risks.

22.   At the same time, Mrs. Clinton took some pains to play down her part in White House policy deliberations.

23.   Balanchine played down stars, effectively making the choreographer himself the star.

24.   At USA Today, polling editor Jim Norman said the daily poll could actually help play down the horse-race quality of the campaign.

25.   Binder said most of the researchers will be hired locally, and played down the idea that West Coast employees would be shifted to Cambridge.

26.   Both Daley and Christopher seemed to adopt a somewhat more conciliatory tone, to strive to play down the consequences of the Gore challenge.

27.   Both Schapiro and Walter try to play down the impact they and their female colleagues have at NASDR.

28.   Both Rwandan and U.N. officials play down the growing insecurity in Kigali and stress that the city is returning slowly to normal.

29.   Braves general manager John Schuerholz has said if Smoltz is unable to play down the stretch, the Braves plan to find their answers internally.

30.   A bureau official played down the accusations, saying most had been extensively investigated before.