as in highlighted
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 played up
The Eagles played up-tempo in the second half, when there was a concerted effort to feed Brown and DeVonta Smith.
—
Zach Berman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Rodgers has played up to par, showing his usual poise while trying to find a rhythm with his receivers.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
That’s to say, Jefferson played up to the standards and expectations of a Chargers’ defense that has given up an average of 15 points per game in victories over the Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Xi played up a message that world is in a state of flux and chaos, and China is the responsible, stable power to guide it into the future.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Lynch, the women’s intercontinental champion and one of the top heels on the RAW roster, played up her villainous role to the crowd.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In the 50 Shades films, her blankness gave Anastasia Steele a naïveté that could be played up or down depending on the game of the scene.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The Vera Institute's advocacy arm Vera Action, for example, assessed that the the GOP spent more than $1 billion attacking Democrats on crime and immigration in 2024, while Democrats spent roughly $319 million on advertisements that played up their public safety records.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Zach Berman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Rodgers has played up to par, showing his usual poise while trying to find a rhythm with his receivers.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
That’s to say, Jefferson played up to the standards and expectations of a Chargers’ defense that has given up an average of 15 points per game in victories over the Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Xi played up a message that world is in a state of flux and chaos, and China is the responsible, stable power to guide it into the future.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Lynch, the women’s intercontinental champion and one of the top heels on the RAW roster, played up her villainous role to the crowd.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In the 50 Shades films, her blankness gave Anastasia Steele a naïveté that could be played up or down depending on the game of the scene.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The Vera Institute's advocacy arm Vera Action, for example, assessed that the the GOP spent more than $1 billion attacking Democrats on crime and immigration in 2024, while Democrats spent roughly $319 million on advertisements that played up their public safety records.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played up
Verb
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Winged munition autonomously detects moving targets Raytheon also highlighted that the StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
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Training camp is less than a week away for the Charlotte Hornets, bringing a close to an offseason highlighted by the addition of four rookies and the franchise’s first summer league championship.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The dynamics of the event further emphasized the NFL’s interest in YouTube, and vice versa.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Chris Walker, Director of Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS), emphasized that the private sector already played a role.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Dolphins have stressed that the team needs to stay more committed to the run game, remaining balanced on offense, and that the offensive line’s performance has to improve.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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In closing statements, Miller’s attorney, Pablo Galaviz, stressed that fact.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The show featured over 65 car brands, including new, modified, and rare hyper cars.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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The straighter hair revealed that Moore’s bangs featured longer, face-framing pieces that grazed her jawline.—
Starr Bowenbank,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Played up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20up. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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