as in highlights
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 plays up
The director plays up the humor a lot more than Westlake’s callously cynical prose, for better or worse.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
So that mixed with the way Sean can draw these plays up?
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
If Love plays up to his full potential, Green Bay should be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
So that mixed with the way Sean can draw these plays up?
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
If Love plays up to his full potential, Green Bay should be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays up
Verb
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This week's quiz highlights farmers' feats, brilliant baseball — and more.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Created to elevate Brazilian cinema on the global stage, this initiative highlights the country’s most original voices in fiction filmmaking.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While anti-aging focuses on achieving a younger appearance, skin longevity emphasizes that prioritizing healthy skin does more than just give you an outward glow.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
8 Oct. 2025
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Robb emphasizes that the most important and immediate changes need to come from inside the tech industry, and specifically social media companies themselves.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The lineup of fly fishing films features breathtaking locations, great catches and the stories behind them.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
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In other words, the team that takes the ice Thursday night for the 2025-26 season opener features a healthy dose of franchise history.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The team stresses that the impact of this crisis extends far beyond coastal areas, affecting everyone because of the globally interconnected economy and food system.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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Grumley stresses that screening is more than just checking in on your breast health here and there.—
Korin Miller,
Flow Space,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plays up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20up. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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