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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Michkov’s sophomore season has been a dud, and that may be understating it.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026 -
In that scenario, the song is actually understating the case.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Although hopeful, other Republicans did not follow the president’s lead in downplaying their loss.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Feb. 2026
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But good luck downplaying this moment, because Brown played the same two courses as Scheffler.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mamdani, though, had previously specifically promised to appoint only board members committed to enacting no increases during the four years of his first term.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Crockett emphasized that people need to play their part in enacting change.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The organoids showed cell death, inflammation and glial scarring, closely mimicking what happens in the human body after severe injury.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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Some of his other previous installations across the globe have stretched hundreds of feet long, mimicking natural shapes and colors inspired by butterfly wings, ocean waves, rainbows, tree canopies and abstract shapes.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The plaintiffs claim the administration is acting out of racial animus.—
Miami Herald Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Read on to find out why your child may be acting out, and when to seek help.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, previously said in a statement that accounts imitating other people go against their terms of service and are removed when flagged.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
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Broncos fans have rallied around their backup quarterback, with thousands of fans changing their social media avatars to a picture of Stidham’s face, photoshopped with sunglasses and headphones, imitating a LeBron James meme.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dunleavy was adamant the team did not ask the Bucks about taking on Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green at the deadline, noting that the only time Green was discussed was when other teams inquired about the lifelong Warrior.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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After a disappointing 4-13 season last year, the Patriots are back in the title game tonight, taking on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trying To Avoid The Generic However, having minimal buttons is hardly an original design strategy when so many EVs have followed this route (aping Tesla).—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
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The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Underplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplaying. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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