1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
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
However, testimony also revealed text messages and emails between Gray and his supervisors that prosecutors say appeared to underplay the severity of the incident on the day of the shooting.
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Skyler Henry,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Most importantly, the film tries to underplay the massive identity and religious politics that the Bengal border has seen since the lines were drawn.
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Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
23 Nov. 2025
At one point, MacLachlan orchestrates a heart-stopping moment of reckoning for Bill and Tammy, written with a sudden, cathartic directness—a break in their usual language of deferential hesitations—which the actors underplay to perfection.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
However, testimony also revealed text messages and emails between Gray and his supervisors that prosecutors say appeared to underplay the severity of the incident on the day of the shooting.
—
Skyler Henry,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Most importantly, the film tries to underplay the massive identity and religious politics that the Bengal border has seen since the lines were drawn.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
23 Nov. 2025
At one point, MacLachlan orchestrates a heart-stopping moment of reckoning for Bill and Tammy, written with a sudden, cathartic directness—a break in their usual language of deferential hesitations—which the actors underplay to perfection.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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The competitive risk is real and should not be understated.
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However, aid workers believe that the official numbers vastly understate the scale of the crisis.
Verb
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Campaigners, meanwhile, don’t want to overplay their hands.
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Try to keep him on the back line of defense and overplay the 3-point line to funnel to him.
Verb
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That’s not to downplay the severity of the injury, of course, which had lasting effects.
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While the Leafs want to downplay the likelihood of a trade, rival executives believe there’s a move coming here.
Verb
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Greenspan was also criticized for enacting policies that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the recession at the end of the 2000s.
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After the collapse, state legislators enacted a law in 2022 requiring condo associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs.
Verb
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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.
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Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.
Verb
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Being faced with an unavoidable conflict or having to work versus connecting (think staying in to do chores or homework versus spending time with friends) is the fast-track to acting out.
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The statement accused Blake of acting out of retaliation for an incident that occurred earlier in the lacrosse season.
Verb
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The pilot will dramatize the trilogy’s opening heist at the Hotel Theresa on 125th, a thirteen-story tower with a striking white façade once known as the Waldorf of Harlem.
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Plot synopsis House of the Dragon attempts to condense and dramatize the conflicting accounts presented in Fire & Blood—stitched together from testimonies and court chronicles—into a single authoritative narrative.
Verb
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There's that fish net aspect in there, the ruffles to mimic the coral, the pearls.
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Scientists agree some types of plastic can mimic fat, in particular in the brain, and that standardized methods are needed to sample and analyze plastic bits in the body.
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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