play up
verb
played up; playing up; plays up
: emphasize
In the interview, try to play up your strengths.
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
Marcus said his brother, who played center all year in Chicago and can play up and down the lineup, is willing to accept whatever role he’s given.
—
Scott Powers, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Del Rio played up-and-coming lawyer Billy Martinez on the first season of Matlock.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
The edit plays up those fears by cutting to a visibly nervous Jordan.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The tour guide may have deflected my Phantom questions, but the opera house plays up just enough of the mystery.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
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.
Scott Powers, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Del Rio played up-and-coming lawyer Billy Martinez on the first season of Matlock.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
The edit plays up those fears by cutting to a visibly nervous Jordan.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The tour guide may have deflected my Phantom questions, but the opera house plays up just enough of the mystery.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20up. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
