1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
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
None of this is to underplay the value of this agreement to Paramount’s streaming business.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
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
None of this is to underplay the value of this agreement to Paramount’s streaming business.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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While the design was certainly understated, there was a touch of whimsy in the bulbous light fixtures and swirly, contemporary art pieces.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
-
For all the stunning natural beauty Seattle is situated amid, there’s always been something understated about the city.—
Mark DeJoy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 June 2026
Verb
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In a couple of instances, the director overplays her hand.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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Lue has tried to stagger their minutes to not overplay them.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To downplay the home’s mass, Anderson took a counterintuitive approach.—
Fred Albert,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Pulisic downplayed the discomfort.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Britain will use a similar model to Australia, which enacted a ban last December, the government said.—
Paul Sandle,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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The industry argued that New York’s public nuisance law is preempted by the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, enacted by Congress in 2005.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
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.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The statement accused Blake of acting out of retaliation for an incident that occurred earlier in the lacrosse season.—
Ryan Canfield OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
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If sung through onstage, the singer would have to act out a complete narrative.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The basic themes of Hearst’s life and the novels that dramatize it remain distressingly relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
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The seemingly limitless budgets and bottomless demand for content of the streaming television era have allowed studios to dramatize both long-ago and recent disasters.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
14 May 2026
Verb
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This exactly matches the iOS schedule from last year, which means the iPhone release schedule is bang on target, for now at least, to mimic last year’s routine.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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This neighborhood plan mimics ones used to eradicate the insects on islands.—
Maggie Penman,
Washington Post,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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