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 special counsel and the Justice Department, Burnham said, overplayed their hands by charging Trump based on his discussions with Justice Department officials and his vice president — government officials whose communications with the White House can be at the heart of a president’s job.
—
Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Washington could overplay its hand, damaging the dollar’s standing.
—Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
The sport was in danger of overplaying footballers.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune Europe, 20 June 2024
There was never under-playing it or overplaying it with Sutherland: There was just what made sense for the character and the story.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay 
Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Washington could overplay its hand, damaging the dollar’s standing.
—Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
The sport was in danger of overplaying footballers.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune Europe, 20 June 2024
There was never under-playing it or overplaying it with Sutherland: There was just what made sense for the character and the story.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 20 June 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 26 Jul. 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
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