underplaying

verb

present participle of underplay
1
as in understating

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in overplaying

Related Words

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 difference between annual inflation and the cumulative effect of inflation over multiple years can create a disconnect, economists say, understating inflation’s impact on consumers.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • As the rescue effort stretched into a fifth day, frustration is growing among survivors and volunteers who accuse authorities of slowing aid deliveries, restricting civilian rescue efforts and understating the true scale of the tragedy.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Definition of understating
Verb
  • The two fraternity brothers were sentenced to two years in prison, following Florida enacting a tougher anti-hazing law in 2005.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 July 2026
  • But starting the debate over solvency by agreeing to borrow massive amounts of money before enacting structural reform is exactly the wrong idea.
    — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of enacting
Verb
  • Paul has backed the theory that the coronavirus emerged from a lab, and has accused Fauci and other top officials of publicly downplaying and denigrating that theory, especially in the early days of the pandemic.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 29 July 2026
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics has accused federal leaders of downplaying the risk of measles and offering misinformation about the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of downplaying
Verb
  • Protect Core Equity Over Raw Volume Independent brands should resist mimicking conglomerate spending patterns for the sake of share of voice.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Soon after, cheering and clapping filled the auditorium before the man mimicking the president stood up, holding a sign for TrumpAccounts.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of mimicking
Verb
  • Abarca claimed that White was acting out an ongoing vendetta against him.
    — Ilana Arougheti July 21, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • Kids ages 9 and up will spend hours acting out scenes as Cinderella and Gus with this Lego set.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Definition of acting out
Verb
  • Others echoed the comparison, saying Coca-Cola’s refreshed typography looked strikingly similar to Marlboros, in a case of reality imitating memes.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 23 July 2026
  • Hawk advocates imitating others before innovating, leveraging existing strengths like Wayne Gretzky, and embracing a beginner's mindset.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of imitating
Verb
  • By taking on the meme generator, Saflor may hit a wall if the court finds that his arguments apply to any meme generator and a finding in his favor could risk undercutting the entire meme ecosystem, Goldman said.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively halted, and significantly lower through the Bab-al-Mandeb strait – with oil tankers unwilling to risk taking on fire from the Iranians and Houthis.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
Definition of taking on
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
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.

Browse Nearby Words

underplayed
underplaying
underplays
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Cite this Entry

“Underplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplaying. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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