as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
that TV news program plays up sensational stories just to get higher ratings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of play up
Being deep-fried and accompanied by a black soy dipping sauce plays up the power of the vegetable's subtle herbal flavor.
—
Meira Gebel, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024
Seeking out where his wife has gone would play up the soap opera textures of the Peacock and Spy original that has been otherwise focused on James Bond-like spycraft.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2024
The company has played up its efforts to design the e.MAS 7 for local tastes, claiming that R&D engineers spent over 700,000 man-hours developing the latest model, which then underwent 100,000 kilometers of testing across Malaysia’s terrain.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Asia, 20 Dec. 2024
The site promises to play up Bahamian culture alongside traditional offerings such as the two separate beaches, 40 cabanas, food and drink venues, seven pools with three swim-up bars.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play up 
Meira Gebel, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024
Seeking out where his wife has gone would play up the soap opera textures of the Peacock and Spy original that has been otherwise focused on James Bond-like spycraft.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2024
The company has played up its efforts to design the e.MAS 7 for local tastes, claiming that R&D engineers spent over 700,000 man-hours developing the latest model, which then underwent 100,000 kilometers of testing across Malaysia’s terrain.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Asia, 20 Dec. 2024
The site promises to play up Bahamian culture alongside traditional offerings such as the two separate beaches, 40 cabanas, food and drink venues, seven pools with three swim-up bars.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
-
What to Know Speaking on Tuesday's episode of Cafe Insider, Bharara highlighted that Merchan's decision to schedule the January 10 sentencing followed Trump's own request to delay proceedings until after November's election.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
-
The findings highlight the urgent need to address threats to prevent further species declines and losses and could help to inform future efforts to reduce the loss of freshwater biodiversity, the researchers said.Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Despite the reduction in scope, Fraga acknowledged that the development would still increase traffic on the already congested Northwest 87th Avenue, but emphasized that the revised plan was the best possible outcome, reducing the number of units by more than 1,000 from the original proposal.Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2025
-
After buying the title off script, the Korean distributor put together a robust social media campaign that targeted young audiences while emphasizing the film’s mouth-watering content.Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
According to The Los Angeles Times, officials stressed that there is no immediate danger to the Westwood campus but urged students to remain vigilant.Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
-
The Academy stresses that all dates are subject to change.Paul Grein, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The photo shared from the vice president’s official social media accounts on Saturday featured the three Democrats the most prominently.Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2025
-
The nose features fresh tropical fruits, creamy vanilla, and subtle coconut aromas.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near play up
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share