1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
To describe the United States’ military interventions as mishandled, for example, is to criminally underplay their impact.
—
Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
And David Rosenberg subtly underplays Alex, an American ex-pat who’s haunted by ghosts of his own.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Mainstream economists, however, believe Trump may be underplaying how damaging his policies could be.
—David Goldman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Some companies overstate the benefits while underplaying the hazards.
—Aimee Pugh Bernard, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
And David Rosenberg subtly underplays Alex, an American ex-pat who’s haunted by ghosts of his own.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Mainstream economists, however, believe Trump may be underplaying how damaging his policies could be.
—David Goldman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Some companies overstate the benefits while underplaying the hazards.
—Aimee Pugh Bernard, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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That’s another effect of ACL tears that can’t be understated: The mental impact can be huge.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
31 July 2025
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To say the Lucas appearance was a hot ticket is to understate.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
Verb
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But overplaying concerns about pesticides or additives does little more than discredit the food system writ large and suggest women find other solutions that may not be as feasible, affordable, or even safe.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
10 June 2025
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An optimistic view of the confrontation would be that both sides responded with appropriate and measured retaliation without overplaying their hands.—
AQIL SHAH,
Foreign Affairs,
23 May 2025
Verb
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White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers downplayed the episode in a statement to CNN.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
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The Fed staff downplayed the inscription as a joke.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Who won Power of Veto on ‘Big Brother’? Keanu enacted his power, which allowed a former houseguest to come in and play in the Power of Veto competition for him.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
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In response, Congress enacted several reforms, including accelerating payroll tax hikes, gradually increasing the retirement age, and taxing a portion of Social Security benefits.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Verb
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The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Dec. 2024
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One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Restless legs syndrome, a condition characterized by an urge to move the legs, is common in Parkinson's disease, as is REM sleep disorder, a condition in which people act out their dreams while sleeping.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
28 July 2025
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Emerging research suggests that acting out dreams might also predict Parkinson’s disease.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Drawing from the real-life Lisbon Maru incident of October 1942, the film dramatizes events when an American submarine accidentally torpedoed a Japanese vessel transporting approximately 1,800 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 July 2025
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The film dramatizes this downward spiral through the experience of a man consumed by anxiety about how his community is shifting around him.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
23 July 2025
Verb
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While many dogs love playing with any ball, as the chase and catch mimics their hunting instincts, the color and texture of a tennis ball specifically capture a canine's attention, according to Rover.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
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To simulate the harshest conditions, Gore’s environmental chamber can mimic nearly any condition on the globe, such as rain rates up to 22 inches per hour, hurricane-level windspeeds and relative humidity.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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