as in highlighting
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of playing up
Rose said Ye bought into her flattery and liked the idea of drinking booze and playing up his bigshot status.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
What’s the harm in asking, or playing up the theatrics?
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Then again, until teams aren’t being rewarded with Stanley Cups for playing up to and over the line as aggressively as possible, honor is going to be a hard thing to quantify in this sport.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
On his Instagram page, Simonds appears to relish in playing up an overly-confident wrestler.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Repossi finessed the rose gold used in its latest spiraling Blast high jewelry pieces, playing up its yellow gleam under a gradient of orange gemstones.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
Lately, Laine noted, the WWE’s star villain Becky Lynch has been using some familiar-sounding language while playing up her status as a sore loser.
—Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The cuddly canines and spirited mutts making up Team Fluff and Team Ruff will battle for the coveted Lombarky Trophy, while also playing up for the cameras in hopes of finding their forever home.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2026
Next-generation geothermal developers are staying the course but playing up the industry’s crossovers with oil and gas.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2026
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
What’s the harm in asking, or playing up the theatrics?
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Then again, until teams aren’t being rewarded with Stanley Cups for playing up to and over the line as aggressively as possible, honor is going to be a hard thing to quantify in this sport.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
On his Instagram page, Simonds appears to relish in playing up an overly-confident wrestler.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Repossi finessed the rose gold used in its latest spiraling Blast high jewelry pieces, playing up its yellow gleam under a gradient of orange gemstones.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
Lately, Laine noted, the WWE’s star villain Becky Lynch has been using some familiar-sounding language while playing up her status as a sore loser.
—Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The cuddly canines and spirited mutts making up Team Fluff and Team Ruff will battle for the coveted Lombarky Trophy, while also playing up for the cameras in hopes of finding their forever home.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2026
Next-generation geothermal developers are staying the course but playing up the industry’s crossovers with oil and gas.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing up
Verb
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The Moon in Capricorn moves through your 8th House of Shared Resources, opposing Jupiter in your 2nd, highlighting personal versus shared priorities.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
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The new work represents a 40-fold increase in system size and a 210-times improvement in accuracy in a key part of the workflow, highlighting rapid progress in the field.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Collins says the tremor does not interfere with her work, emphasizing her consistent voting record and active role leading Senate budget negotiations.—
Patrick Whittle,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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The two experts revealed the new, higher death toll alongside Central Florida lawmakers at a press conference outside the building that once was touted as a walk-through tour showcasing sloths while emphasizing conservation and education.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Specific tests included picking up and stressing the laptops to check for build quality and flex, and carrying them in laptop backpacks to check weight and portability.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
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Pure lunacy — and now stressing out students with crashes of a computer system.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In another video, Hough was seen wearing a bikini featuring a nude triangle top and black bikini bottoms while jumping on a trampoline surrounded be palm trees.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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All Creatures Great and Small – Masterpiece PBS will make its ATX TV Festival debut with a conversation featuring the cast of the long-running fan favorite All Creatures Great and Small, based on James Herriot’s adventures as a veterinarian in the 1930’s Yorkshire Dales.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20up. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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