1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
Often the most formidable issue is the tendency overplay a ‘bot’s developing humanness.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
But Trump seems to have overplayed his hand big time, Jeffrey Gettleman and Maya Tekeli write.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Even critics of higher education and Trump allies believe Trump is dramatically overplaying his hand.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 19 Apr. 2025
The net effect, however, is that a core group of players has potentially been overplayed.
—Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
But Trump seems to have overplayed his hand big time, Jeffrey Gettleman and Maya Tekeli write.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Even critics of higher education and Trump allies believe Trump is dramatically overplaying his hand.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 19 Apr. 2025
The net effect, however, is that a core group of players has potentially been overplayed.
—Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay
Verb
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However, the opposite is true: one of the most effective ways to improve well-being isn't to overemphasize comfort.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Writers, with our big egos and big imaginations, tend to overemphasize the impact of our books.—
Maris Kreizman
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Verb
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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
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The Takacs was already a fine quartet, with a lyrical, emotionally frank sensibility that rarely underplayed the character of a phrase.—
David Allen Chet Strange,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Without ever overdoing, Catmull compels the audience to pay attention.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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Italians don't overdo it, but always include some detail that draws attention without going overboard.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
21 June 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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Critics say the deal undervalued the golf course and exaggerated the benefits.—
Sarah Lapidus,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
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Dissenting Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not exaggerate the consequences of the court’s 6-3 decision.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was not especially well loved when it was enacted at the end of that year.—
Joseph Thorndike,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The first payments from Canada's digital services tax, which was enacted last year and applies retroactively to 2022, were initially set to be collected Monday.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Amid the lack of regulation and the potential for climate startups to overstate their impact, registries aim to verify how much carbon was really removed.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
3 July 2025
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That said, his Heat tenure also was a case study of sometimes overstating such developmental projects, as evidenced by his five-year, $90 million contract.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Puppies often chew shoes to soothe their gums when teething, while dogs lacking physical or mental stimulation may act out to get a reaction.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
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Fear around the upcoming adjustment, anticipatory anxiety, and positive emotions such as excitement can also trigger them to act out.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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