1
as in to overemphasize
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overplay
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
But the president-elect's favors are fickle, and there are already signs that Musk may be overplaying his hand.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The president believed that the media, and political rivals such as Trump, were overplaying the threat.
—Joe Klein, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
See all Example Sentences for overplay 
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
But the president-elect's favors are fickle, and there are already signs that Musk may be overplaying his hand.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The president believed that the media, and political rivals such as Trump, were overplaying the threat.
—Joe Klein, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
See all Example Sentences for overplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay
Verb
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First, a person starts to overemphasize their wins, leading them to gamble more.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
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Likewise, critics often overemphasize the role of Aung San Suu Kyi’s personal traits while minimizing the structural and situational factors that have influenced her decisions.—
Tej Parikh,
Foreign Affairs,
19 May 2017
Verb
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Notice the costs of underplaying the conversation, which many tend to do.—
Hylke Faber,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
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Gonski said that in addition to overstating certifiers’ responsibilities, Follow the Law’s messaging underplays the protections that already exist.—
Phoebe Petrovic,
ProPublica,
30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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To enjoy seitan without overdoing the sodium, pair it with foods naturally low in sodium, like vegetables and grains, and use herbs and spices instead of salt to boost flavor.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
28 Jan. 2025
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Don’t overdo it, but do include social proof in your social media channels, email marketing and media.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
13 Dec. 2024
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The college student performers from the Hartt School aren’t encouraged to overact during the party scene anymore — no more drunk jokes or pratfalls.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In the caption, Smith explained what really happened to her and critiqued those who were exaggerating the situation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
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Leavitt exaggerated just like her boss; vigorously promoted his executive actions; and demeaned former President Joe Biden.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The preeminent art show Documenta, which takes place once every five years in Kassel, Germany, has enacted a new code of conduct three years after an antisemitism scandal roiled its 2022 edition.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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Yet the resistance to Trump’s first term clearly demonstrated that lying down on the tracks was not in itself a suitable plan for winning elections and enacting large-scale social and political change.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The couple concealed their use of the charity's money by overstating the amounts spent by the charity and overstating the scale of the charity's work and the true disposition of the donations, according to the indictment.—
Ron Wood,
arkansasonline.com,
29 Jan. 2025
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Some folks might overstate the likely influence of those who call for a more restrained U.S. approach to the world within a second Trump administration, the scholars wrote in the opinion piece.—
Cory Smith,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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So maybe, on some level, Jeff was acting out his cavalier attitude toward his own masculine spirit.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
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But by high school, Daniel began getting into trouble and acting out at home and in school, his father told the Miami Herald in the months after the stabbings.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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