quitar hierro a
verbCEFR B2
What does “quitar hierro a” mean in English?
to play down, to downplay
to play down, to downplay (to deliberately minimise; common in PR and politics; quitar hierro a + noun)
Example sentences
El portavoz intentó quitar hierro al incidente, insistiendo en que era un problema técnico puntual.
The spokesperson tried to play down the incident, insisting it was a one-off technical problem.
No se puede quitar hierro a lo que pasó: fue una violación grave de los protocolos de seguridad.
You can't play down what happened: it was a serious breach of safety protocols.
Su intento de quitar hierro al asunto solo consiguió enfadar más a los afectados.
His attempt to play down the matter only succeeded in angering those affected further.
How to use it
Quitar hierro a (literally 'to remove iron from') means 'to play down', 'to downplay', 'to take the heat out of'. It is used when someone deliberately minimises the seriousness of a situation, often for PR or diplomatic reasons. Construction: quitar hierro a + noun: 'quitar hierro al asunto', 'quitar hierro a la polémica'. Contrast with restar importancia a (near synonym, more formal) and minimizar (more neutral/technical). Hacer hincapié en is its conceptual opposite.
Common mistake
Quitar hierro a ≠ ignorar (to ignore). The downplayer is actively engaging — they're reducing the perceived weight, not dismissing it. The collocation is fixed: *quitar importancia is not standard (restar importancia is the standard equivalent). Note the contraction: quitar hierro al asunto (a + el = al).