1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
Advertisement China might overplay its hand—that remains a real danger.
—
Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
And now he’s gone, probably, pressured into a resignation after overplaying his hand one too many times.
—Brian Grubb, Vulture, 29 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
Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
And now he’s gone, probably, pressured into a resignation after overplaying his hand one too many times.
—Brian Grubb, Vulture, 29 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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Finally, advocates can respond to the argument that merit overemphasizes achievements and undervalues people.—
Kenji Yoshino,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
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Parents who overemphasize obedience, which can require the suppression of big feelings, run the risk of raising people-pleasers who can’t advocate for themselves and are more likely to grow into anxious, unhappy adults, Raouda says.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Eric McDaniel, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, said the post diverged from the manner in which previous administrations have characterized papal disagreements, often underplaying dissent but stopping short of falsely implying agreement.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
21 Jan. 2026
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Japan’s Moment To Continue A moment is probably underplaying it a little.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Just make sure to not overdo it.—
Cheyenne Buckingham,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
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Rice Cakes On Their Own Rice cakes are a simple way to satisfy the craving for crunch without overdoing it on calories.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On-screen, the speech’s prestige can overwhelm its existential subject matter, and the passage tends to get overacted.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
15 Dec. 2025
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Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The aforementioned labels, as well as a few heritage trainer brands, already have strong contenders on the market, including Adidas’s laceless Taekwondo style, which offers an especially chic way to exaggerate the profile.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
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Schmidt Automotive Research said Chinese growth was exaggerated by special conditions in the second half of 2025 but will still be formidable.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Inside, organizers enacted extreme heat protocols, forcing closure of the retractable roofs over the main arenas and postponement of matches on the uncovered outer courts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the impact of the French New Wave is hard to overstate, said Robbie Collin in The Telegraph.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
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The latter expectation is overstated, but e-bikes are a great trend in mobility.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The plaintiffs claim the administration is acting out of racial animus.—
Miami Herald Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Read on to find out why your child may be acting out, and when to seek help.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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