overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā 
overplayed; overplaying; overplays
1
a
: to present (a dramatic role) extravagantly : exaggerate
b
: to place too much emphasis on
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
—usually used in the phrase overplay one's hand
3
: to strike a golf ball beyond (a putting green)
: to exaggerate a part or effect
Examples of overplay in a Sentence
The network news overplayed the story just to get good ratings.
He overplayed the death scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
The motif of windows as a snapshot of other lives is never overplayed.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Berliner said the network overplayed the investigation of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay 
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Berliner said the network overplayed the investigation of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā
1
: exaggerate, overemphasize
newspapers overplayed the story
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
overplayed my hand and lost
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share