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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The Raffia Flat With a Coordinating Skirt Set The newest version of the aforementioned Alaïa flat appears here, this time in raffia, alongside a pleated skirt set for a texture-forward yet understated look.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
27 June 2025
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The importance of this in the open-source community cannot be understated, as some of the most important software in the world relies on tiny communities that do not have the time or resources to meet onerous cybersecurity regulations.—
Stephanie Domas,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Marlon takes on the guise of a thug named Roach and of course overplays the role.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
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Having a semblance of moderated AI regulations and laws that are flexible and not crushing is potentially worth considering, but the inherent nature of any such encumbrances is that they will be overplayed and shut down AI innovation.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Drug ads often downplay the risks, leading to uninformed decisions.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
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President Donald Trump downplayed any divisions within the MAGA movement over potential U.S. strikes on Iran.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Verb
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But this is the most restrictive outdoor ban ever to be enacted.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
30 June 2025
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Another bill that would have authorized Gov. Ned Lamont to enact a bear hunt in Connecticut based on a future recommendation from DEEP also died on the Senate calendar earlier this month.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 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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Comments Midway through season 6 of Boy Meets World, Rider Strong recalls feeling tired of acting out dramatic storylines for his character Shawn Hunter.—
Daysia Tolentino,
EW.com,
21 June 2025
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Hoyer could be acting out of self-preservation at the deadline of what might be his final shot in Chicago.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Both supporters and opponents of the attacks are likely to dramatize events.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
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This is a spectacle that is constructed by the federal administration to dramatize the threat, the fear, for people who aren’t local Angelenos, who are very far from the actual place.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Verb
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In August 2017, a giant inflatable chicken designed to mimic Trump's features drew widespread media attention when staged near the White House as a form of protest, garnering viral interest on social media.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
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Wind the path through your favorite parts of the garden to mimic the hidden feeling of the Secret Garden.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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