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.
Herzog naturally plays up the enigma at hand with epic grandeur, occasionally overdoing it but usually hitting the mark. Eric Kohn, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026 But Jokic hasn’t played up to that caliber through three games of this series, which is a major reason that Minnesota holds a 2-1 advantage heading into Saturday’s Game 4. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 When Stearns first took over the team, coverage played up his New York roots. Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026 Sasaki turned in sharp results, and his velocity played up in his short stint as a reliever during last year’s playoff run. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 21 Apr. 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 26 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

play up

verb

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