overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā 
overplayed; overplaying; overplays
1
a
: to present (a dramatic role) extravagantly : exaggerate
b
: to place too much emphasis on
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
—usually used in the phrase overplay one's hand
3
: to strike a golf ball beyond (a putting green)
: to exaggerate a part or effect
Examples of overplay in a Sentence
The network news overplayed the story just to get good ratings.
He overplayed the death scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
The sport was in danger of overplaying footballers.
—
Amanda Gerut, Fortune Europe, 20 June 2024
There was never under-playing it or overplaying it with Sutherland: There was just what made sense for the character and the story.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 20 June 2024
Joe’s overdone chivalry has quickly become a fatal error, overplaying his hand, and Elsbeth’s realization that barkeep-in-training Dion also heard Ivy pouring her heart out to Joe about Gemma combines to unleash the full force of Elsbeth’s tenacity.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 May 2024
When the characters are more mature and confident in the show’s abruptly different second half, that shift in attitude is lost because of how overplayed the first half was.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay 
Amanda Gerut, Fortune Europe, 20 June 2024
There was never under-playing it or overplaying it with Sutherland: There was just what made sense for the character and the story.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 20 June 2024
Joe’s overdone chivalry has quickly become a fatal error, overplaying his hand, and Elsbeth’s realization that barkeep-in-training Dion also heard Ivy pouring her heart out to Joe about Gemma combines to unleash the full force of Elsbeth’s tenacity.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 May 2024
When the characters are more mature and confident in the show’s abruptly different second half, that shift in attitude is lost because of how overplayed the first half was.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā
1
: exaggerate, overemphasize
newspapers overplayed the story
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
overplayed my hand and lost
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