1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
Successful vagueposters inject their posts with just enough dramatic flair to attract curiosity, careful not to overplay their hand.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
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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That distinction matters because modern entrepreneurship discussions often overemphasize innovation while underestimating execution, timing, leadership, strategy, competitive positioning, and entrepreneurial control.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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The old name overemphasized the role of the ovary in this condition and did not describe how PMOS can affect many body systems.—
Melanie Cree,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Verb
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YouTube as the new film school, YouTube as the new film festival, YouTube as the new music-video breeding ground — is to dramatically underplay it.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2026
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However, because the artists were not of Mexican descent, Chicano music histories often overlook or underplay this era.—
Oliver Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The trend is positive if approached with balance and proper technique, avoiding overdoing it.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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When Your Lawn Needs Watering The first step is to not overdo it.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
14 June 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 four-time Olympian was not exaggerating.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
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Many of the studies exaggerate the amount in human organs, the European officials concluded.—
Michael Hawthorne,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Greenspan was also criticized for enacting policies that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the recession at the end of the 2000s.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
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After the collapse, state legislators enacted a law in 2022 requiring condo associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Verb
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The magnitude of World Cup games in Miami can hardly be overstated.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
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Last year, she was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding the bank by overstating the number of customers Frank had.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Being faced with an unavoidable conflict or having to work versus connecting (think staying in to do chores or homework versus spending time with friends) is the fast-track to acting out.—
Maressa Brown,
Parents,
18 June 2026
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The statement accused Blake of acting out of retaliation for an incident that occurred earlier in the lacrosse season.—
Ryan Canfield OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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