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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Recent Examples of plays up
This stainless steel iteration is a sleeker iteration that loses the embellishment of traditional ceramics but plays up the streamlined elegance.
—
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 9 June 2026
Or, let air-dry with a scrunch of mousse that plays up your hair’s natural texture.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 9 June 2026
If Yamal plays up to his potential, La Roja could very well earn its second star above its crest.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
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
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 9 June 2026
Or, let air-dry with a scrunch of mousse that plays up your hair’s natural texture.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 9 June 2026
If Yamal plays up to his potential, La Roja could very well earn its second star above its crest.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays up
Verb
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Berger also emphasizes their openness to all formats, citing Brown’s pre-school series Tab Time, which began life on YouTube in 2021, an example of this.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
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Latter-day Saints also reject the Nicene Creed, which emphasizes the doctrine of the Trinity as one divine being.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Inserra added that the finding highlights the range of extraordinary objects still waiting to be identified.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
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This situation highlights the tension between modern donor influence, transfer portal mobility, and NIL commercialization, all of which are reshaping alumni expectations and making donor relationships more transactional.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The card features seven fights, including a main event lightweight title bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
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There, the airport features 247 restaurants and cafes, 16 lounges, and plenty to explore in the Jewel, including the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, an impressive hedge maze, and more.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Sampaio points to new European reports and incentive schemes around greener film and TV production as a reference, but stresses that Latin America is starting from a different baseline.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
2 Dec. 2025
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When taking a trip, the flight is usually the least memorable part, but there is one airport in the United States that continually stresses out travelers.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plays up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20up. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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