underplayed 1 of 2

Definition of underplayednext

underplayed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of underplay
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplayed
Adjective
  • Léa Seydoux gives a very committed, unaffected performance as Lucy, an experimental pianist who must deal with the dawning knowledge that her beloved husband Philip (Laurence Rupp) has a second life online as a pedophile pornographer.
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 May 2026
  • French authorities had initially ordered over 1,700 passengers and crew on The Ambition cruise ship to remain on board, but then decided late Wednesday to let those unaffected disembark.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Tiny oval lenses and slim rectangular frames have slowly given way to oversized bug-eye silhouettes, wraparound shield sunglasses, and statement-making styles that feel more glamorous than understated.
    Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 16 May 2026
  • While Calvin Klein normally does away with fussy embellishments and patterns, stripes remain the only exception, thanks to their resort casual look that instantly elevates an outfit while keeping it understated.
    Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • The mood music at City, meanwhile, is noticeably more subdued, although Jeremy Doku’s last-gasp curling equaliser on Merseyside did keep their hopes alive.
    Ayo Akinwolere, New York Times, 10 May 2026
  • In the 2010s, Streisand’s style often went the more subdued route, but stayed elegant as ever.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Many community leaders and local officials downplayed the impact of SB 79 on San Diego when it was approved last October because the city had already done significant upzoning near many of its trolley stops, especially in University City and Mission Valley.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • The AfD has become more radical since then, and some of its prominent members have openly used Nazi language and downplayed the Holocaust.
    Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • In Belgium and France, a sharp dimming in late 2022 tracked with the implementation of specific energy-saving policies enacted during the European energy crisis.
    Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
  • Despite that effort, Hoskins and other Republican statewide officials enacted the map in defiance of decades of precedent.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Puerto Rican rum production emphasizes column distillation and filtration, yielding a cleaner, lighter, and more restrained profile than many heavier Caribbean styles.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
  • It was described by critics as psychologically uneasy and emotionally claustrophobic, with Keough serving as the restrained emotional center of the film.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Friends and family say Wright acted out throughout the trial, including missing previous court dates and removing himself from the stand.
    WCCO Staff, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Like other states around the country, Tennessee was closing its public psychiatric hospitals, and mentally ill people who acted out were simply being jailed.
    James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Underplayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplayed. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

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