1
as in understating
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2
as in overplaying
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplaying
Verb
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The Muddy Waters report also alleges that SoFi has been assigning the wrong discount rate to its student loan portfolio—essentially overvaluing it—as well as understating its exposure to loans in default.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026 -
Critics of Mamdani accuse him of downplaying the complexities of the city’s vast dispatch system while understating the number of calls that require a police response.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More than half reported hiding or downplaying their identity.—
Arielle Kaden,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Kennedy dismissed a key panel of 17 experts who advise CDC on its vaccine decisions last year, replacing them with his own picks, many of whom have emphasized the risks of vaccines while downplaying their health benefits.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The data comes as Japan grapples with the fallout from the Iran war, with the country releasing oil stockpiles and enacting fuel subsidies to stave off the worst of the energy shock from the closed Strait of Hormuz.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
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In reality however — and sadly — this structure gave way to constant battles and micromanagement, often preventing the mayor from improving the system and enacting any real change.—
Dennis Walcott,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That said, a fasting-mimicking diet can be extreme and isn’t for everyone, so make sure to talk to your health care provider before attempting it on your own.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
31 Mar. 2026
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But each type of fish has its own specific needs and requires mimicking their open ocean environment in a small 15-gallon tank.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mia is really acting out her character and has butt pads so lumpy that Michelle Visage got up off her couch to come over to the Hamptons to yell at her.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
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Reports from those calls reveal a spectrum of youth behaviors, from hallway bullying to acting out because of problems at home.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The gulls weren’t directly imitating the act of eating.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
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The gulls weren’t imitating human eating directly but were using the human’s choice as a cue to guide their own foraging decisions.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oracle is leasing Stargate's data center campus in Abilene, and has been funding the buildout by taking on tens of billions of dollars in debt.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2026
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Hurley came to UConn in 2018 to rebuild after the first losing seasons in 30 years, taking on the program Jim Calhoun forged into a national power.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The re-enactments, which include bomb-making and transportation, as well as the three-pronged plan to escape, have a flavor that calls to mind ’70s heist and spy films, accompanied by Michael James Lee’s jaunty, genre-aping score.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
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Trying To Avoid The Generic However, having minimal buttons is hardly an original design strategy when so many EVs have followed this route (aping Tesla).—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Underplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplaying. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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