1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
To describe the United States’ military interventions as mishandled, for example, is to criminally underplay their impact.
—
Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
And David Rosenberg subtly underplays Alex, an American ex-pat who’s haunted by ghosts of his own.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Mainstream economists, however, believe Trump may be underplaying how damaging his policies could be.
—David Goldman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Some companies overstate the benefits while underplaying the hazards.
—Aimee Pugh Bernard, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
And David Rosenberg subtly underplays Alex, an American ex-pat who’s haunted by ghosts of his own.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Mainstream economists, however, believe Trump may be underplaying how damaging his policies could be.
—David Goldman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Some companies overstate the benefits while underplaying the hazards.
—Aimee Pugh Bernard, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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And the cast performances unevenly range in size from understated to over the top.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
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But lo and behold, this stonewashed cotton coverlet, in a white-and-sand-colored check, proves that even offbeat patterns can come across as understated when rendered in a gentle palette.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
18 July 2025
Verb
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The essence of Tillis’ warning to his party is that Trump and the MAGA wing were once again overplaying their hand.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Twin Cities,
3 July 2025
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Good; in this country, these are battles that should be fought in the courts, not the streets, and an independent federal judge with life tenure should take little time to find that Trump has overplayed his hand.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2025
Verb
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White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers downplayed the episode in a statement to CNN.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
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The Fed staff downplayed the inscription as a joke.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Who won Power of Veto on ‘Big Brother’? Keanu enacted his power, which allowed a former houseguest to come in and play in the Power of Veto competition for him.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
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Since Ecuador recognized the rights of Pachamama, the Quechua name for Mother Earth, in its Constitution in 2008, more than 500 laws on the rights of nature have been enacted around the world.—
Dana Zartner,
The Conversation,
23 July 2025
Verb
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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
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One could easily be accused of overacting, of doing too much.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Global banks aren’t necessarily acting out of malice.—
Wale Ayeni,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
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Lizzy yells at him for acting out because of his bruised ego.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Political leaders have a responsibility to offer sober assessments but many of the statements from politicians were intended to dramatize events for personal gain.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
15 June 2025
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That directorial decision mostly works, but Cummings is on shakier ground when dramatizing the space itself.—
Elisabeth Vincentelli,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Typically, very young children are the ones who are most excited to mimic their parents and lend a hand with laundry.—
Christine Carrig,
The Atlantic,
21 July 2025
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Artificial tears and lubricants, which are sold over the counter in a variety of brands, mimic your own tears and help rewet the eyes.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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