1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
And powerful people tend to overplay their hands.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Advertisement China might overplay its hand—that remains a real danger.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
But Barkley suggested the players should be careful to not overplay their hand.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025
While there are risks for Democrats to overplay their hand in several blue states, members of the party warn there’s risk for their GOP counterparts in red states just the same.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Brent Lang, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Advertisement China might overplay its hand—that remains a real danger.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
But Barkley suggested the players should be careful to not overplay their hand.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025
While there are risks for Democrats to overplay their hand in several blue states, members of the party warn there’s risk for their GOP counterparts in red states just the same.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay
Verb
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Still, overemphasizing national trend lines fails to acknowledge how new converts can change a community.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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Questions at debates and forums have tended to overemphasize who’s giving what to whom over other important matters in this election.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes the functional sibling learns to compensate or cover for the dysfunctional one, to underplay strengths or wear a mask.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Others say such comments underplay the consequences of the oil blockade.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That means proper cleaning and not overdoing frequency.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
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Soil with high nutrients can actually reduce cosmos blooms, so don’t overdo the fertilizer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That secret shakes Charlie’s love for his intended, messes with work, affects his performance in bed and prompts him to spiral out, overacting at every step.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The scrutiny of fame has always been dehumanizing, though the ubiquity of the modern-day comment section has surely accelerated and exaggerated its cruelty.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The team, according to records shared with Semafor by Moore’s office, is digging into whether Moore had exaggerated his military record, as well as his high school and collegiate basketball tenure.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two states — Utah and Florida — have enacted bans.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
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According to Barnard, the center has both threatened family separations and enacted them.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And if there even was a reason for pause there, then don’t overstate the Heat.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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The contradiction runs so deep that 62% of those same executives privately concede that the risk of unsanctioned shadow AI is overstated compared to the risk of not leveraging AI at all.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This reality means that the environmental review angle can be an effective veto over development by NIMBY groups and others acting out of ideological rather than environmentally-conscious concerns.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
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If previous records massaged her hedonism into silky, professional-grade pop, the sound on WOR$T GIRL is all sinew and scrap metal, a leaner and meaner vehicle for acting out.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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