1
as in overemphasizing
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in underplaying
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplaying
Verb
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Still, overemphasizing national trend lines fails to acknowledge how new converts can change a community.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026 -
Still, experts warn that there is such a thing as overemphasizing the data and getting bogged down by less-than-optimal scores.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But nighttime pain that woke me every few hours was likely from overdoing, Bugbee’s nurse explained.—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Don't Go Overboard with Pillows One easy way to keep from clogging up the bedroom is not overdoing it with throw pillows.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Board member Allen Zeman also asked if Hepburn could bring back a proposal that would cut 200 more jobs, although board members only committed to reviewing it, not enacting it.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
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After phones at the facility allegedly stopped working on April 2, detainees began to complain, and attorney Katherine Blankenship alleged her clients told her that guards responded by threatening violence and then enacting violence on detainees, per court docs obtained by PEOPLE.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term featured record numbers of disappearances and homicides, complained that political adversaries were exaggerating the problem to smear his reputation and legacy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Analysts note that the Russia Defense ministry has a habit of exaggerating advances when the frontlines are scarcely changing.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This reality means that the environmental review angle can be an effective veto over development by NIMBY groups and others acting out of ideological rather than environmentally-conscious concerns.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
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If previous records massaged her hedonism into silky, professional-grade pop, the sound on WOR$T GIRL is all sinew and scrap metal, a leaner and meaner vehicle for acting out.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Grounding researchers describe this as a form of electrical disconnection from the natural world that may be contributing to the rise in chronic inflammatory conditions — a framing worth including without overstating causation.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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That may be overstating the case a little, but at this point the US can’t afford any delays — especially as the war in Iran accelerates global demand for Chinese renewables.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition to recentering the story, the new show shies away from violence on screen, so as to avoid sensationalizing Gacy.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
13 Nov. 2025
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Notoriety trailed Woodhull through her life, but, rather than sensationalizing her scandals, Collinsworth highlights Woodhull’s flair for reinvention, and her drive to set the terms by which she would be remembered.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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All of that just mimicking where Texas finds itself.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
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Through this, researchers are mimicking natural structures, such as bird nests and bone minerals, to create ultra-strong manufactured materials.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Overplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplaying. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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