OVERPLAY Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

overplay

verb

Definition of overplay

as in to overemphasize

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in to underplay

Related Words

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 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 Lue has tried to stagger their minutes to not overplay them. — Janis Carr, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 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

The fun-size pieces are an easy way to enjoy most Halloween candy without overdoing it.

— Jennifer Berger, Verywell Health, 26 Oct. 2026
Don’t get too warm, though Although staying warm is essential — things like fingers don’t work as efficiently when chilled — don’t overdo it.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of overdo

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

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Democrats should focus on enacting their legislative agenda when the new Congress convenes in January following the party’s decisive victories in this week’s midterm elections.

— Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2026
Au Kam San, a Macao pro-democracy former lawmaker, was sentenced to 12½ years in prison after a closed-door trial that raised concerns about fairness in the Chinese casino hub's first national security case since the law was enacted in 2009.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of enact

Verb

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
If these numbers are accurate — and the polls wildly overstated el Sayed’s margin in the Democratic primary — Stevens would need to trigger an avalanche of vote-switching in addition to late deciders overwhelmingly breaking for Rogers.

— W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026