played up

verb

past tense of play up
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of played up But with her Monday night looks, Pugh seemingly played up sartorial symbolism. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 In one of two brief speaking appearances during the hearing, Paramount lawyer Joshua Holian played up the value of Miramax, citing Scary Movie‘s nine-figure haul at the box office this year. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 Cassavetes played up the conflicting feelings on set and exacerbated them by giving Rowlands and Cassel contradictory directions that constantly set the actors against each other. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026 Paye’s pocket-pushing and motor really played up in these situations. — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Under-eye shadows, bags and lower-lid definition get played up instead of concealed. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 Trump played up the industry’s potential in the days after Maduro’s capture. — Fabiola Zerpa, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 However, Pelosi said the feud was never serious and was often played up by the press. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026 There’s a receptiveness to Helaena that at times can be really funny but also played up the tragedy of her arc this season. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played up
  1. highlighted
  2. emphasized
  3. stressed
  4. featured
Verb
  • But the actress highlighted that even Star Wars and other big roles didn’t change certain things for her.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Jaguar hit the reset button that year, rolling out a new logo and polarizing branding that highlighted its upcoming all-electric vehicle lineup.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of highlighted
Verb
  • Hochul has emphasized Blakeman’s ties to Trump — mirroring much of the Democrats’ national strategy for the midterm elections — hoping the president’s dismal approval ratings help sink her Republican foe at the ballot box.
    — Sagar Meghani, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Hybe America Studios president James Shin emphasized collaboration with artists and Korean creative teams as the company builds its film and television business.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasized
Verb
  • Despite increasingly sophisticated tools, the panelists stressed that technology alone will not secure a career.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The vibe is undeniably family-focused, and the place is full of parents who don’t look remotely stressed because the kids are having a wonderful time.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stressed
Verb
  • Unlike Lonely People with Power, which featured Interpol’s Paul Banks and Boy Harsher’s Jae Matthews, At Work in the Fields of the Bomb doesn’t invite any guests.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The original design, which debuted during artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière’s show, featured some yellow elements throughout, including at the bust layered effect and the minimal seams just beneath the bustline.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of featured

Browse Nearby Words

played out
played up
played (upon)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Played up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20up. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All