1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
Read Memento Mori by Muriel Spark Club acknowledges but doesn’t overplay its central irony: These elderly crime-solvers will, in the not too distant future, learn firsthand the truth about the great mystery of death.
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
That’s not to overplay this openness; notably, stigma still exists, especially in certain cultures and locales.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
While Newsom’s posts are undoubtedly popular, political strategists like Ryan White warn Newsom could be overplaying his hand.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
For another, to overplay this legacy sequel as some kind of corrective would fundamentally contradict the ethos of a movie about the perils of living in the past.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
That’s not to overplay this openness; notably, stigma still exists, especially in certain cultures and locales.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
While Newsom’s posts are undoubtedly popular, political strategists like Ryan White warn Newsom could be overplaying his hand.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
For another, to overplay this legacy sequel as some kind of corrective would fundamentally contradict the ethos of a movie about the perils of living in the past.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay
Verb
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Still, experts warn that there is such a thing as overemphasizing the data and getting bogged down by less-than-optimal scores.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
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But ChatGPT sometimes overemphasized or underemphasized findings, and a small but significant number of responses indicated patients were more confused after reading the summaries, said Honce, who participated in the preprint study.—
Kate Ruder,
jsonline.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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China rejects this view and has blasted Taipei for underplaying the role of Chinese Communists in defeating Imperial Japan.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
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Bader gives a sharp, subtle performance, underplaying in scenes where even an experienced actor might chomp down.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Maura never overdoes the feisty granny bit.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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Its two pressure settings are powerful enough to clear away plaque without overdoing it, all in a compact design that tucks neatly under the sink or into your carry-on.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
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There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Giménez was exaggerating, but not by much.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Our foul, flatulent father-figure may exaggerate a bit when belittling his enemies (and friends, for that matter), but cloaked under his aura of filth — like an adult Pig-Pen’s toxic dust cloud — rests a core truth.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But my initial obsession had lacked characters who might also enact their own shift.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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The organization states that 30,000 residents of Amsterdam have already signed a petition in favor of enacting concrete plans and policies to limit mass tourism.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Often sensational in tone and light on substance, these reports typically allege that a company has misstated its financial condition, overstated business prospects, or engaged in improper practices.—
Tim Reynolds,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
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However, the overall impact of high-tech industries for China should not be overstated, said Magnus.—
Matthew Tostevin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During her latest podcast episode, Cunningham continued to speak out, calling out the league boss for acting out of self-interest.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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At these screenings, the film is shown on the big screen while a cast silently acts out the entire film in front of the audience.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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