1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
Schmidt’s one-timer from the top of the right circle cleanly beat Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who overplayed the near post.
—
Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2025
Marlon takes on the guise of a thug named Roach and of course overplays the role.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025
Having a semblance of moderated AI regulations and laws that are flexible and not crushing is potentially worth considering, but the inherent nature of any such encumbrances is that they will be overplayed and shut down AI innovation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Fortunately this is a terrific cast that also avoids overplaying the melodramatic undertones here, keeping it believably human all the way.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2025
Marlon takes on the guise of a thug named Roach and of course overplays the role.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025
Having a semblance of moderated AI regulations and laws that are flexible and not crushing is potentially worth considering, but the inherent nature of any such encumbrances is that they will be overplayed and shut down AI innovation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Fortunately this is a terrific cast that also avoids overplaying the melodramatic undertones here, keeping it believably human all the way.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay
Verb
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See how schools did The U.S. News & World Report's rankings have come under scrutiny over the years, however, for favoring certain kinds of schools and overemphasizing standardized testing scores, which have historically favored wealthier districts.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
19 Aug. 2025
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But a frequent misstep, especially in the games industry, is overemphasizing creative vision without addressing business fundamentals.—
Roman Gurskiy,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Mintz more than matches the acrobatic dancing of Donald O’Connor’s Cosmo in the movie but underplays the character’s goofiness and goes for a sly, self-respecting sassiness instead.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
22 July 2025
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To say that there is no love lost between the two sides would be to underplay the depth of feeling here.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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Simple pleasures appeal to you as the moon and Venus harmonize—no need to overdo it.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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And while some thought the league was overdoing it with all the shots of the singer during the games, Mama Kelce was excited for the new audience Swift was attracting.—
Lisa France,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Dec. 2024
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One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Some politicians will always seek to exploit immigration anxieties, exaggerate problems, and spread misinformation.—
Alexander Kustov,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Aug. 2025
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While there are some potential side effects, people on social media exaggerate or misrepresent the risks.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted last month jeopardizes the financial stability of the city in the coming years, state officials and budget experts say.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
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Some updates are needed Much has changed in the decades since Congress wrote the law, but Congress has not enacted updates to keep up.—
Anna Kirkland,
The Conversation,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Dan Kois at Slate pointed out in 2010 that some of the age panic around Cauldron may have been overstated.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
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But to your overall point, yes, do not overstate these latest movies.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed, resorting to murder to get their multimillion-dollar inheritances before being cut out of their parents’ will.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
21 Aug. 2025
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Going back to the basics—and sticking with them—can help reduce anxiety and the desire to act out of impulsivity.—
Christopher Steward,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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