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
Did the Nexstar and Sinclair station groups overplay their hands by aggressively taking on Disney this week?
—
Michael Schneider, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
The last time Newcastle was in the Champions League two seasons ago, the number of injuries was so high that even those who were fit were overplayed.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Guilherme Biro’s pass over the top to Owen Wolff, son of Sporting KC legend Josh Wolff, was overplayed by SKC’s Robert Voloder.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Not to mention Hamill, who never overplays his character’s villainy and makes his second strong impression this year in a Stephen King vehicle after The Life of Chuck.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
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.
Michael Schneider, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
The last time Newcastle was in the Champions League two seasons ago, the number of injuries was so high that even those who were fit were overplayed.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Guilherme Biro’s pass over the top to Owen Wolff, son of Sporting KC legend Josh Wolff, was overplayed by SKC’s Robert Voloder.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Not to mention Hamill, who never overplays his character’s villainy and makes his second strong impression this year in a Stephen King vehicle after The Life of Chuck.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 23 Sep. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share