1
as in understating
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2
as in overplaying
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplaying
Verb
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The state championship results, combined with other recent high finishes for Pepper-Jackson, are at odds with Pepper-Jackson’s lawyers’ previous claims understating the transgender athlete’s performance in girls’ events.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2026 -
Yes, Reid is understating his profound influence over it all, whether that’s directly through frequent conversations with Veach or via what’s simply understood between them by now.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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She's been endorsed by former President Joe Biden after serving in his administration and is downplaying attacks on her one-term record as mayor of Atlanta.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
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Maynard said the city appears to be downplaying the significance of its financial woes, by pinning the blame for its overspending simply on unanticipated snow removal costs driven by two major winter storms.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Brookline, a wealthy suburb of Boston, was the first, enacting its own version in 2021.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
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Meanwhile, San Diego for years was on the cutting edge of facilitating construction of accessory dwelling units or ADUs, enacting perhaps the most permissive rules in California.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Some of the most striking moments come from Atlas mimicking player emotions and reactions.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
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The underwater world informed also her approach to accessories, which ranged from mesh handbags studded with transparent beads mimicking drops of water to statement necklaces, bracelets and belts evoking octopus tentacles and small anchovies.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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This natural state of paralysis prevents the body from physically acting out dreams, which could otherwise lead to injury, Drerup explained.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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Rather than acting out on the anger, take a calming moment with some deep breaths, and think about the possibility that your partner was possibly distracted or stressed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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So in that moment, life is imitating art a little bit.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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So maybe that was art imitating life.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
Verb
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And the government subsidizes mortgages, so taking on leverage is easier.—
Allison Schrager,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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Parent borrowers have even fewer options Parent borrowers will want to be especially careful taking on new loans, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Verb
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For Shorts, the label will appear as a small overlay at the bottom of the video itself, although that will add to the already cluttered look of the TikTok-aping Shorts.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2026
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There’s a word for this type of storytelling, and Taccone deserves credit for delivering a superior version of this without outright aping its most famous practitioner.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Underplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplaying. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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