1
as in to understate
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Recent Examples of underplay
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
Cast against type, Stamos has fun slyly underplaying a thoroughly depraved character.
—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
However, testimony also revealed text messages and emails between Gray and his supervisors that prosecutors say appeared to underplay the severity of the incident on the day of the shooting.
—
Skyler Henry,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underplay
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
Cast against type, Stamos has fun slyly underplaying a thoroughly depraved character.
—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
However, testimony also revealed text messages and emails between Gray and his supervisors that prosecutors say appeared to underplay the severity of the incident on the day of the shooting.
—
Skyler Henry,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
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Venturini argued that the city’s population is understated because many students and seasonal workers spend most of the year in Venice without registering as residents.
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However, the restrictions allowed things to be fittingly understated.
Verb
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Last season, Vítek Vaněček struggled in that role, which led the Mammoth to overplay Vejmelka for the second straight season.
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Campaigners, meanwhile, don’t want to overplay their hands.
Verb
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Streamers including Netflix have downplayed their interest in taking on solo ownership of the Emmys and the fact hat none of these companies has snapped up the rights so far is telling.
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Kevin Hassett, director of the White House's National Economic Council, downplayed Thursday's report, pointing to a positive trend for the labor market in previous months.
Verb
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The Islamic Republic is expected to enact unprecedented security measures, overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while the Basij paramilitary force will coordinate logistics, accommodation and crowd management across the various cities.
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Passed as the second of three Reconstruction amendments, the 14th Amendment was enacted after the Civil War.
Verb
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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.
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Adrien Brody can’t stop overacting in a commercial for TurboTax.
Verb
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Put together this 393-piece Lego Marvel set to act out the subway scene from Spider-Man 2.
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Whether it’s induced by the unknown or past experiences, dogs may shake, tremble, bark, act out or hide when in distress.
Verb
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The pilot will dramatize the trilogy’s opening heist at the Hotel Theresa on 125th, a thirteen-story tower with a striking white façade once known as the Waldorf of Harlem.
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Plot synopsis House of the Dragon attempts to condense and dramatize the conflicting accounts presented in Fire & Blood—stitched together from testimonies and court chronicles—into a single authoritative narrative.
Verb
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That skill mimics mortality, Lee said, with the Chinese firm calling it another step toward fully autonomous machines capable of working 24/7.
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Such a beautiful sculpture, mimicking the swirls found in nature (the cosmos, shells, Fibonacci-following topiary) felt a far cry from the swirl of emotions prompted by my favorite TV shows.
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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