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, 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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While open shelves can create an airy feel and provide storage surfaces in a visually appealing way, overdoing the look isn't practical, or in keeping with the current bathroom trends.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
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The Smekkers are incredibly insulating without overdoing it—and without getting itchy, either.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Yet in his first year back in office, the president made profound progress in enacting his agenda, and women are better off for it.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Just last year, a major overhaul in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was passed as a trailer bill, bypassing many of the normal procedures for enacting legislation.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Allegations that are now spreading online could be misinterpreting records or exaggerating minor issues — or could be exposing actual fraudulent activity.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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Studies have found that companies tend to buy cheap, low-quality carbon credits, which run a risk of exaggerating their carbon reduction claims or providing results that would have happened anyway, leaving no real climate benefit.—
Brian P. McCullough,
The Conversation,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The actors joked about how trying to put on medical gloves quickly enough while remembering and acting out dialogue can make scenes go sideways in a heartbeat.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Dec. 2025
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This world is rarely gentle to people who are hurt, vulnerable, acting out.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
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With the Heat at 22-20, Spoelstra is not overstating where his team stands.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
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That might be overstating things a bit (especially for a few coaches, ahem, Jim Harbaugh).—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 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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Opinion journalism may be the most influential literary form in the United States, and novelists and poets have taken to mimicking political speech to engage with readers and grow their audiences.—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Finally, there are also more advanced light meters, which can cost hundreds of dollars or more and provide more sophisticated measurements for growers looking to maximize yields by more closely mimicking natural light.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
20 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Overplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplaying. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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