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Synonyms
Examples of play up in a Sentence
that TV news program plays up sensational stories just to get higher ratings
Recent Examples on the Web
Some of this drama may be played up for the cameras, with drag deployed as political confrontation and law enforcement an ambiguous threat.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 May 2024
Critics say Trump is capitalizing on those concerns by playing up anti-immigrant sentiments.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 11 May 2024
Their call-and-response structure also helps play up their complementary tones while remaining true to the anthemic nature of power soca.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 2 May 2024
And it's been widely reported that China is playing up this conflict in the global south in many nations to undermine the United States.
—Majd Al-Waheidi, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1814, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near play up
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20up. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
play up
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