PLAYS UP Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

plays up

verb

present tense third-person singular of play up

as in emphasizes

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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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 plays up This wall plays up a room's height, in turn, creating both a sense of space and drama, Parker says. —

Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 30 May 2026 Much of the products are focused on the eyes, a continuation of his runway makeup that also plays up peepers, such as heavy lashes or exaggerated cat eyes. —

Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 Herzog naturally plays up the enigma at hand with epic grandeur, occasionally overdoing it but usually hitting the mark. —

Eric Kohn, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026 Paradise playing coy with details on Samantha’s plan or how ALEX can be used to save the world plays up the mystery, but this lack of information regarding her thought process zaps the moment of emotion and tension. —

Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026 The tour guide may have deflected my Phantom questions, but the opera house plays up just enough of the mystery. —

Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2026 Beth Goldenberg’s costume design plays up the early 1980s and helps to define each character, such as the loud, pushy prints that Barbara wears. —

Mary Damiano, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2026 For an administration that plays up the language of inclusion and liberation, the absence of Black voices raises alarm. —

Darius Jones, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026 Parmesan creamed spinach is a delight and really plays up the buttery artichoke hearts. —

Amanda Stanfield, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays up

Verb

Despite us having just seen the episode where Reid performed this exact song, his vocals felt like they were shot out of a cannon — Reid has an unexpected control and expressiveness to his live singing voice that emphasizes the already theatrical lyrics and melody.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Lifting extremely heavy weights with limited range of motion, as observers have noted in Kennedy’s video, increases the risk of injury and emphasizes numbers rather than strength.

— Paula Chesley, STAT, 3 June 2026