underplaying

verb

present participle of underplay
1
as in understating

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2
as in overplaying

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplaying
  1. understating
  2. enacting
  3. downplaying
  4. mimicking
  5. acting out
  6. imitating
  7. taking on
  8. aping
Verb
  • The findings suggest current methods may be understating the amount of PFAS present in water.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Recent warnings about the potential destructive power of AI are understating the severity of the situation.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of understating
Verb
  • But since daylight saving time has ended, enacting the law now would mean an immediate one-hour time jump forward across the country, barring changes to the legislation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Procedural fastidiousness has become an end in itself rather than enacting substantive policy.
    — David Bloomfield, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of enacting
Verb
  • Prosecutors had accused the two former FBI officials of falsely downplaying to Congress their knowledge of investigations into President Biden’s son and of a laptop the younger Biden dropped off at a computer repair shop in Delaware in 2019.
    — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In June, Vice President JD Vance spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California, downplaying the scandal that ended Nixon’s presidency.
    — Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of downplaying
Verb
  • Fusion energy has long promised virtually limitless, low-carbon power by mimicking the physical reactions that fuel the Sun.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Color Shift adds blue and red halos around subjects, mimicking the look of a lens with heavy chromatic aberration.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of mimicking
Verb
  • Jenn asks Ryan if Dominic acting out at school has anything to do with her divorce.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes, and the live cast will lead the audience in acting out scenes and songs from the movie.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of acting out
Verb
  • Leni completed the costume with a wig imitating Camilla’s dark, curly tresses, and wore the character’s most iconic outfit with a white tank top and oversized hairbow.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Rather than simply imitating the brain with silicon chips, the approach uses actual neurons to perform computational work.
    — Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of imitating
Verb
  • The booster also supported six Starlink flights before taking on USSF-432.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In the case of Yemen, the ground fighters inside the country who are taking on the Houthis are deeply divided and fought each other as recently as January.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of taking on
Verb
  • The two musicians are so good at aping the sounds they were raised on that originality and reference become one and the same.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Critics and fanboy media thrashed Supergirl not just for its Guardians of the Galaxy touchstones, but also for aping Mad Max.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 29 June 2026
Definition of aping
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

“Underplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplaying. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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