OVERPLAY Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

overplay

verb

Definition of overplay

as in to overemphasize

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Dissimilar Words

as in to underplay

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of overplay In a corporate environment, leaders who overplay their hand can trigger resistance from peers, boards and other stakeholders. — Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Last season, Vítek Vaněček struggled in that role, which led the Mammoth to overplay Vejmelka for the second straight season. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 June 2026 Asked about the risk of overplaying one of the NHL’s marquee blueliners, Wild coach John Hynes said there is little concern about Hughes’ workload. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026 Best of all, the Tony nominee smartly resists overplaying the joke, grounding the part enough that Brad's unraveling becomes funnier. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overplay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay

Verb

But even this description overemphasizes its contribution to MoMA’s interdisciplinarity, since the small black-box theater has been used just as often as an additional gallery space for video or sound installations.

— Nolan Kelly, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026
And yet the United States and its allies’ current defense architecture overemphasizes exquisite capabilities while their adversaries, namely China and Russia, possess vast industrial capacity to scale military production.

— Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of overemphasize

Verb

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
Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.

— Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026

Definition of overact

Verb

Curated by Andrew Bolton, Costume Art explored the relationship between clothing and the human body, highlighting how fashion can celebrate, exaggerate, and transform the human form.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 5 Nov. 2026
Reports of the Make America Healthy Again movement’s demise have been exaggerated.

— Isabella Cueto, STAT, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of exaggerate

Verb

The California congressman said there need to be congressional hearings on the cause of the technical issue and what improvements should be enacted to avoid similar future outages.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2026
The announcement marks a significant shift in the state's position on a gun control measure enacted following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, which left 17 people dead.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2026

Definition of enact

Verb

Some observers argue that the impact of midterm election outcomes on data center construction need not be overstated.

— , CNBC, 13 Nov. 2026
Silence on a number could be the carrier or the agent vendor, and anyone claiming certainty about which is overstating what the data supports.

— Satish Barot, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026