underplay

verb

Definition of underplaynext
1
as in to understate

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in to overplay

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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 underplay Not to underplay the seriousness of the situation, of course, but the suspect never made it inside. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Sometimes the functional sibling learns to compensate or cover for the dysfunctional one, to underplay strengths or wear a mask. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Though Shakespeare in Love won best picture, Spielberg’s film led a worldwide wave of remembrance for WWII veterans, as well as conversations about previous films underplaying the trauma of combat. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026 Cast against type, Stamos has fun slyly underplaying a thoroughly depraved character. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
  1. understate
  2. overplay
  3. downplay
  4. enact
  5. overact
  6. act out
  7. dramatize
  8. mimic
Verb
  • How Hiring Managers Mislead Job Candidates The Resume Genius report found that the most common form of misrepresentation was understating how difficult the role or team environment would be, cited by 32% of hiring managers.
    — Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Another brand, Gestuz, demonstrated that tonal looks don't have to be exclusively minimalist or understated.
    — Miriam Nehring, Glamour, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of understate
Verb
  • Last season, Vítek Vaněček struggled in that role, which led the Mammoth to overplay Vejmelka for the second straight season.
    — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Campaigners, meanwhile, don’t want to overplay their hands.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 June 2026
Definition of overplay
Verb
  • While most kids of color in the scene seemed to downplay race, Ryan went out of his way to put together a Black band.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But the department downplayed critics' concerns about adverse effects.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of downplay
Verb
  • Jim Zouras, a Chicago attorney who’s represented people in hundreds of Illinois privacy lawsuits, said the state has constructed many new data centers since enacting its privacy laws.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • After the 2023 mall shooting, Anutin, who was interior minister at the time, enacted a one-year ban on the issue of new personal gun licenses and suspended public carry permits, among other gun control measures.
    — Nat Sumon, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of enact
Verb
  • That secret shakes Charlie’s love for his intended, messes with work, affects his performance in bed and prompts him to spiral out, overacting at every step.
    — Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.
    — Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of overact
Verb
  • The film’s star, Robin Williams, can be seen acting out a scene with costar Adam Zolotin, who played young Louis.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
  • During one scene, Einbinder — dressed in a replica of a black dress Gyllenhaal wore in the original film — acted out an explicit orgasm as described in the script, breaking character in the middle of the scene to double over laughing.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of act out
Verb
  • The Trial of Louise Woodward will dramatize the story of Woodward, an 18-year-old British au pair who in 1997 was accused of shaking to death a baby who was left in her care by her host family in Massachusetts.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
  • Two teenagers, aided by an arborist, climbed a 100-foot pine tree outside a Pasadena high school Saturday to dramatize a campaign to stop a soil remediation project calling for the removal of nearly 200 trees at several school campuses.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of dramatize
Verb
  • As with that of the previous Roma Spider, the soft-top roof is made of five layers of cloth and mimics the silhouette of the coupe’s roofline.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Cases in children are increasingly common because the products are packaged to mimic familiar candy and snack brands.
    — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of mimic

Browse Nearby Words

underpins
underplay
underplayed
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Cite this Entry

“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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