play up

verb

played up; playing up; plays up
Synonyms of play upnext

transitive verb

: emphasize
In the interview, try to play up your strengths.
also : exaggerate, overemphasize
It was only a small achievement but the CEO really played it up.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With less natural light, Miranda-Martin wanted to play up the idea of dining-room-as-treehouse, reflecting the second-floor foliage visible from the small windows. Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Although his team did not play up to its standard, Clarke came to his players’ defense. Miami Herald, 24 June 2026 However, my preferred styling is to play up the sneakers's casual nature with understated bottoms, such as long Bermuda shorts or loose-fitting jeans. Irene Richardson, InStyle, 21 June 2026 Tani Oluwaseyi and Liam Millar are out of the starting lineup, replaced by Cyle Larin, who will play up front, and Ali Ahmed. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for play up

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of play up was in 1814

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20up. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

play up

verb

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