as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
that TV news program plays up sensational stories just to get higher ratings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play up
Lately, Laine noted, the WWE’s star villain Becky Lynch has been using some familiar-sounding language while playing up her status as a sore loser.
—
Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
This film adaptation cut out the second half of the book, downplayed the violence committed by Olivier’s character, Heathcliff, and played up the romance between Heathcliff and Oberon’s character, Cathy.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Play with ring layering to play up your heart-nail designs.
—Paola Zamarripa, Glamour, 10 Feb. 2026
Other commercials played up the surreal.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
This film adaptation cut out the second half of the book, downplayed the violence committed by Olivier’s character, Heathcliff, and played up the romance between Heathcliff and Oberon’s character, Cathy.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Play with ring layering to play up your heart-nail designs.
—Paola Zamarripa, Glamour, 10 Feb. 2026
Other commercials played up the surreal.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
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One of those is Garcia, who his coach went on to highlight.—
Erik Anderson,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
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Poway, the reigning Masters Champion but the runner-up in the Division 2 section finals meet two weeks ago, powered through to retain the Masters team title at 183 points, highlighted by having six finalists and three champions.—
Breven Honda,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When many publications let down their paywall at the tantalizing prospect of chasing massive audiences online through social platforms, The Economist remained skeptical, choosing a model that emphasized subscription and reader revenue over advertising.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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Rooms emphasize the history – plenty of velvet, iron, wood, particularly in the suites, where design elements take their cues from Italian opera boxes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hurricanes coach Tricia Cullop stressed how important this matchup was because Cal sat in 10th place in the ACC standings, two spots above Miami and on the edge of the NCAA Tournament bubble.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
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The judge again stressed that the relevant considerations in antitrust analysis aren’t supposed social goods, but instead factors that shed light on economic competition.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These shows typically feature a group of trainees who compete for a chance to debut in an idol group.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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On the precipice of the sixth WBC, the tournament has a history full of iconic moments, including the final pitch of the 2023 edition that featured Shohei Ohtani striking out his then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to seal Japan’s third WBC title.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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