as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
that TV news program plays up sensational stories just to get higher ratings
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Recent Examples of play up
His average four-seam fastball velocity is down quite a bit from pre-injury levels, at 95.1 mph, but the pitch has played up a bit while its usage is way down.
—
Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Frankly, anybody playing up front in between Lamine Yamal and Raphinha should not be struggling for goalscoring opportunities.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The whitepaper had similar narratives, calling for self-reliance and playing up the country’s role as a stabilizing force amid global uncertainty.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 14 May 2025
Yet another hopes to make the best of a bad trade policy, and by way of justification, is also playing up the rivalry with China.
—Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for play up
Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Frankly, anybody playing up front in between Lamine Yamal and Raphinha should not be struggling for goalscoring opportunities.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The whitepaper had similar narratives, calling for self-reliance and playing up the country’s role as a stabilizing force amid global uncertainty.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 14 May 2025
Yet another hopes to make the best of a bad trade policy, and by way of justification, is also playing up the rivalry with China.
—Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
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In April, the company posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings, highlighted by accelerating revenue growth in its cloud computing business.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
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Selbach-Oster’s Auslese from the steep Schlossberg vineyard highlights the Mosel’s ability to make lusciously sweet wines with great finesse.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
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However, unlike Biden’s orders--which routinely expanded whole-of-government regulatory frameworks--Trump’s 2025 orders emphasize dismantling Biden-era rulings and forcing courts to test the limits of streamlining frameworks.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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This approach allows for subtle control over speech rhythm and tone, giving the user the ability to interrupt, emphasize, or ask questions just as anyone else would.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Investors in Oklahoma, Utah, Kentucky and Nevada are particularly stressed.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The wing’s design stresses each region’s singularity while fostering an atmosphere of cosmopolitan exchange.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
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The episode — a single scene, shot on one location, largely just featuring Carmy and Sydney, with Richie and then Natalie joining later — is about Carmy’s decision to quit the restaurant and leave Syd in charge.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
28 June 2025
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Thankfully, Android features a range of security settings to keep your device and data protected from these threats.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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