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
Rusev The announce team really played up how Sheamus has never beaten Rusev in singles action.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
In particular, Huff played up the Mellencamp component, using The Lonesome Jubilee as a guide.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025
The striped design plays up the nautical theme without being too camp.
—Alexis Benveniste, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
The base game for Guild Wars 2 is available for free to play up to max level with eight different character professions and tons of both PvE and PvP content, with no subscription fee.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for play up
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
In particular, Huff played up the Mellencamp component, using The Lonesome Jubilee as a guide.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025
The striped design plays up the nautical theme without being too camp.
—Alexis Benveniste, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
The base game for Guild Wars 2 is available for free to play up to max level with eight different character professions and tons of both PvE and PvP content, with no subscription fee.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
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Fascinating and detailed, the show highlights all the reasons why the first series was so addictive in the first place, while allowing a brand-new cast to shine.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
31 July 2025
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Democrats are ramping up pressure on Republicans over the Jeffrey Epstein files, turning to an arcane rule to attempt to force the release of documents and highlight an issue that has become a sore subject for the Trump administration and Republicans.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
31 July 2025
Verb
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That said, many policymakers have emphasized taking a wait and see approach to monetary policy in the coming months as the economic impact of government policy plays out.—
Simon Moore,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Both organizations emphasized improvements made to welfare systems and reporting procedures since 2016, when Endemol merged with Shine, and again in 2020 when Banijay acquired Endemol Shine.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Bengals worth 'driving over 1,000 potholes' Multiple commenters stressed the importance of keeping the Bengals in Cincinnati.—
Erin Glynn,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
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The firm was stressed that ChatGPT’s agent capabilities remain a work in progress.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The footage also provided a website for fans, featuring a clock counting down until Monday, Aug. 4, when tickets and dates are expected to be unveiled.—
Stacy Lambe,
People.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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The first delay at the historic bullring of a racetrack came after the ceremonial first pitch featuring Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones, joined by NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.—
Teresa M. Walker,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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