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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play up
Is your team playing up to its potential?
—
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Davy made sure to play up the contrast in this Cassie look, too.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
The guard can play up to 12 regular-season games this season while on a development contract.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2026
Rose said Ye bought into her flattery and liked the idea of drinking booze and playing up his bigshot status.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Davy made sure to play up the contrast in this Cassie look, too.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
The guard can play up to 12 regular-season games this season while on a development contract.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2026
Rose said Ye bought into her flattery and liked the idea of drinking booze and playing up his bigshot status.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
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The recent debate over the Broward County surrogacy case highlights a crucial moment in Florida’s fight to protect preborn children.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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Industry groups also highlighted concerns around bills that did not pass, despite being beneficial to businesses in the state.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Symbolic interactionism emphasizes how people build their identities through social roles and interactions.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
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The man is nameless to emphasize both the singular and the universal nature of his situation.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Fu also stressed that more work needs to be done to boost domestic demand, urging businesses to improve their offerings to attract consumers.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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Big numbers of Americans are concerned and stressed about finances, and feelings of being secure and content about them are down from this time last year.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Trump’s meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, began at the Great Hall of the People moments after a welcome ceremony that seemed to impress the president, featuring a Chinese military honor guard and a greeting from excited schoolchildren.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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But Thompson’s future calling will feature a different kind of drilling — teeth, not volleyballs.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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