1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
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
None of this is to underplay the value of this agreement to Paramount’s streaming business.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
Mintz more than matches the acrobatic dancing of Donald O’Connor’s Cosmo in the movie but underplays the character’s goofiness and goes for a sly, self-respecting sassiness instead.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 July 2025
To say that there is no love lost between the two sides would be to underplay the depth of feeling here.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
None of this is to underplay the value of this agreement to Paramount’s streaming business.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
Mintz more than matches the acrobatic dancing of Donald O’Connor’s Cosmo in the movie but underplays the character’s goofiness and goes for a sly, self-respecting sassiness instead.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 July 2025
To say that there is no love lost between the two sides would be to underplay the depth of feeling here.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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But in her eyes the urgency of the climate crisis cannot be understated.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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With a pixie cut, Duwaji’s personal style leans toward the understated, including her pairing of long shorts with an oversize buckle, midriff-skimming one-shoulder top and cowboy boots.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement China might overplay its hand—that remains a real danger.—
Kerry Brown,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
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But Barkley suggested the players should be careful to not overplay their hand.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a separate interview with CNN on Wednesday, Luntz also downplayed inflation as an election issue and drew a distinction with affordability.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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One military leader did not name Bahonar but criticized officials who downplay the importance of the hijab mandate.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If enacted, many of the policies laid out could significantly alter the day-to-day lives of NASA workers and transform the 67-year-old agency.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
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But thus far, the promise has yet to be enacted by his Administration.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
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There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Others abused alcohol and drugs, were separated and divorced, or acted out violently.—
Arianna Huffington,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
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As the five-year case unfolded, Betty continually lost court battles and continued to act out.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And to dramatize how easily the past repeats itself.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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Panahi followed suit with his first feature-length film, The White Balloon, using a pair of siblings trying to find a goldfish for their Nowruz, or New Year, celebration to dramatize economic hardship.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the past, literary and pop-culture-themed rooms have popped in hotels around the country — including designs that mimic Monica and Rachel's Friends apartment, an all-pink Barbie's Dream House room, a winter wonderland from Elf and a chocolate fantasy from Wonka.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
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In a series of high-pressure, high-temperature experiments designed to mimic the fiery beginnings of a young planet, scientists recreated the extreme environment where such worlds' molten rock and hydrogen gas interact.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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