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
Although rhetorically Beijing overplayed its hand the economic sanctions imposed have been relatively modest.
—
Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
The story about him coaching Rio Ferdinand by showing him videos of Phil Jagielka’s defending is perhaps overplayed — Moyes was surely making a specific tactical point — but the former Everton manager seemed overwhelmed by the task.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
To his credit, O’Brien never overplays Bradley as the monster.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Successful vagueposters inject their posts with just enough dramatic flair to attract curiosity, careful not to overplay their hand.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overplay
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Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
The story about him coaching Rio Ferdinand by showing him videos of Phil Jagielka’s defending is perhaps overplayed — Moyes was surely making a specific tactical point — but the former Everton manager seemed overwhelmed by the task.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
To his credit, O’Brien never overplays Bradley as the monster.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Successful vagueposters inject their posts with just enough dramatic flair to attract curiosity, careful not to overplay their hand.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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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