play up

verb

played up; playing up; plays 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.
While Gomez has played Mabel Mora on Hulu's whodunit since its premiere in 2021, Park played up-and-coming actress Kimber Min as a recurring character for just one season in 2023. Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025 Rodgers came into the game making sure not to play up the first matchup of his career against the team that selected him in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025 Want to play up its moody look? Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025 Also, Tua Tagovailoa was told this week to stop thinking and just play and the team practiced playing up tempo more. Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025 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 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

play up

verb

More from Merriam-Webster on play up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!