as in unaffected
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in understated
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in overplayed
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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 response was more subdued when, in the fourth round, the San Francisco 49ers selected Prysock.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
By and large, Republicans were also reluctant to weigh in on Netanyahu’s proposal, and several downplayed the impact in interviews with the Washington Examiner.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
16 May 2026
-
Bob’s family regularly told him that, of course, but Bob always downplayed it.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
16 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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Underplayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplayed. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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