UNDERPLAY Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

underplay

verb

Definition of underplay

as in to understate

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in to overplay

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of underplay However, because the artists were not of Mexican descent, Chicano music histories often overlook or underplay this era. — Oliver Wang, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026 Not to underplay the seriousness of the situation, of course, but the suspect never made it inside. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Sometimes the functional sibling learns to compensate or cover for the dysfunctional one, to underplay strengths or wear a mask. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Though Shakespeare in Love won best picture, Spielberg’s film led a worldwide wave of remembrance for WWII veterans, as well as conversations about previous films underplaying the trauma of combat. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underplay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay

Verb

Anderson’s cover is string-heavy and tropical in nature, but where Buffett sang it with a forceful voice, Anderson goes for soft and understated, allowing both men’s versions to stand distinctly on their own.

— Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026
The menu may describe its approach as simple, but there’s nothing understated about the flavors.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of understate

Verb

Still, privately, government officials and business leaders told Semafor that South Africa would not overplay its hand by making any attempt to withhold access to these metals; PGMs make up more than a third of its exports to the US.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
The brothers pepper in POV shots of the climbers to literally put the audience in their shoes, but don’t overplay their hand, maintaining palpable reality even when the challenges mount to comical levels.

— Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of overplay

Verb

Yet, the complaint says, both downplayed their firsthand knowledge of the laptop or involvement in investigations during 2023 congressional testimony.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
One of the proposal's drafters, Darien Shanske, a law professor at UC Davis, downplays reports of wealthy Californians relocating in anticipation of the measure.

— Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of downplay

Verb

People who had already turned 55 when the law was enacted also were given until August 2021 to file lawsuits, no matter when the alleged abuse occurred.

— John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
In the same era, Democrats in Congress enacted a raft of social programs that would become part of the language, such as Medicare and Medicaid.

— Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of enact

Verb

That secret shakes Charlie’s love for his intended, messes with work, affects his performance in bed and prompts him to spiral out, overacting at every step.

— Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.

— Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026

Definition of overact

Verb

Cooke does his best to dramatize these origins, often through dry humor, but the personalities involved don’t quite rise to the level of an Aaron Sorkin drama.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
When the third act slows down to dramatize the hours of Altman’s ouster from OpenAI, Guadagnino has almost no way of generating the sort of ice-blooded intrigue that runs in Fincher’s veins.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of dramatize

Verb

The novel was also partly epistolary, including segments of fictional court transcripts and news coverage created by King (who enjoyed mimicking different writing styles).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
The result is weightless all-day volume that mimics that of hair on the much thicker side, and hairstylist Becca Kraeger swears by it for adding fullness and bounce to natural curls without weighing them down.

— Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mimic

Browse Nearby Words

underpins

underplay

underplayed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of underplay

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes