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
Demko overplayed it and lost his net, but Juulsen collapsed down low to break up Rantanen’s play and save a potential goal.
—
Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
The stark beauty of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic, part music hall romp, part abstract painting, was awakened in a production starring two gifted comics who didn’t overplay their slapstick hands, Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Without overplaying her hand, Adams understands that James is a proxy for the audience processing Doubt’s thorny ideas.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
The key is to position your offer as a natural fit for their needs without overplaying your hand.
—Alla Adam, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay 
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Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
The stark beauty of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic, part music hall romp, part abstract painting, was awakened in a production starring two gifted comics who didn’t overplay their slapstick hands, Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Without overplaying her hand, Adams understands that James is a proxy for the audience processing Doubt’s thorny ideas.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
The key is to position your offer as a natural fit for their needs without overplaying your hand.
—Alla Adam, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay
Dictionary Entries Near overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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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