overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā 
overplayed; overplaying; overplays
1
a
: to present (a dramatic role) extravagantly : exaggerate
b
: to place too much emphasis on
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
—usually used in the phrase overplay one's hand
3
: to strike a golf ball beyond (a putting green)
: to exaggerate a part or effect
Examples of overplay in a Sentence
The network news overplayed the story just to get good ratings.
He overplayed the death scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
So, what is left to protect the nation from any force that would overplay its hand.
—
Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025
There are moments when the performers overplay the humor, suspense and moral outrage.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The format of moving from one number to the next in TikTok fashion encourages some of the performers to overplay their hands.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2025
The stark beauty of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic, part music hall romp, part abstract painting, was awakened in a production starring two gifted comics who didn’t overplay their slapstick hands, Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for overplay
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Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025
There are moments when the performers overplay the humor, suspense and moral outrage.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The format of moving from one number to the next in TikTok fashion encourages some of the performers to overplay their hands.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2025
The stark beauty of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic, part music hall romp, part abstract painting, was awakened in a production starring two gifted comics who didn’t overplay their slapstick hands, Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā
1
: exaggerate, overemphasize
newspapers overplayed the story
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
overplayed my hand and lost
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