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
For years Tyran played up a grade or two.
—
Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
With that in mind, Blake thinks Weathers and Warren have stuff that could play up in the bullpen should the Yankees’ run of good health continue.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Herzog naturally plays up the enigma at hand with epic grandeur, occasionally overdoing it but usually hitting the mark.
—Eric Kohn, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
The United States Football League's Oklahoma Outlaws, featuring quarterback Doug Williams, played up the road in Tulsa in 1984.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
With that in mind, Blake thinks Weathers and Warren have stuff that could play up in the bullpen should the Yankees’ run of good health continue.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Herzog naturally plays up the enigma at hand with epic grandeur, occasionally overdoing it but usually hitting the mark.
—Eric Kohn, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
The United States Football League's Oklahoma Outlaws, featuring quarterback Doug Williams, played up the road in Tulsa in 1984.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
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As the Moon moves into Sagittarius, your 2nd House of Resources comes into focus, highlighting money, time, and priorities that need attention.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
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Prosecutors highlighted allegations of previous behavior of the suspect in the filings, including allegedly admiring the 2018 Woolsey fire, burning a Bible, threatening to burn his sister’s house down and using ChatGPT to generate images of people running from a burning forest.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Cavender, meanwhile, focused on fiscal discipline, public safety resources and neighborhood quality, while Crow emphasized affordability and community engagement in budget decisions.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
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Rather than steering young people exclusively toward high-paying technical fields like computer science, a growing number are emphasizing the long-term value of skills often associated with a humanities or liberal arts education.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Pachysandra beds that have been stressed by winter, too much sun, drought, insects, or overcrowding are more susceptible to this fungal disease.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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So, no, not equal opportunity at moments of truth, no matter how constant the movement, how stressed the pace.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
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One video showed Lizzo blowing out her candles on a birthday cake before twerking, while pictures of another cake featured her album cover, depicting her as a middle finger.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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