1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
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
Notice the costs of underplaying the conversation, which many tend to do.
—Hylke Faber, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
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
Notice the costs of underplaying the conversation, which many tend to do.
—Hylke Faber, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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This dress features striped detailing and an eloquent and understated length.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
3 June 2025
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Much of the inspiration at Lee’s is understated, from drink names that reference the Velvet Underground to complex mixology.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Fortunately this is a terrific cast that also avoids overplaying the melodramatic undertones here, keeping it believably human all the way.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
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Often the most formidable issue is the tendency overplay a ‘bot’s developing humanness.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Ongoing Challenges And Customer Expectations To its credit, SAP did not downplay the ongoing hurdles that its customers face.—
Robert Kramer,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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As recently widowed Irene Chao, Liu trades her signature strut for a self-effacing shuffle, using makeup not to accentuate her beauty but to downplay it.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Verb
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However, it wasn’t ultimately enacted by the last Congress.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images House Majority Leader Steve Scalise formally introduced legislation to enact President Donald Trump's $9.4 billion rescissions package on Friday, setting up a floor vote as early as Tuesday.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 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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One theory the documentary presented was that Lewis acted out in revenge against Johnson & Johnson, Tylenol’s parent company.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
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The accompanying video pays tribute to the popular anime Death Note and features the pair acting out a fan’s fan fiction.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Renoir’s film dramatized the end of an era (of high-society frivolities, as war loomed), and so does Anderson’s; namely, the end of the age of buccaneer industrialism.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
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Well, the theatrical piece dramatizes the real-life events of a highly successful British deception operation during World War II, helmed by intelligence officers Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley and aimed at misleading Nazi Germany about the Allied invasion of Southern Europe.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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South Korea’s new president should mimic Moon’s approach by pushing his national security staff and economic advisers to get into the weeds with their North Korean counterparts.—
John Delury,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
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Known as hemoglobin vesicles, these particles mimic natural red blood cells and can carry oxygen efficiently.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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