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Synonyms
Examples of play up in a Sentence
that TV news program plays up sensational stories just to get higher ratings
Recent Examples on the Web
Intimate partner violence, homophobia and pedophilia were played up for yucks and as Gotcha moments in this battle.
—Hazlitt, 30 May 2024
Anwar has previously played up Malaysia’s ambition to be a neutral territory between the U.S. and China.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 29 May 2024
Some of this drama may be played up for the cameras, with drag deployed as political confrontation and law enforcement an ambiguous threat.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 May 2024
Critics say Trump is capitalizing on those concerns by playing up anti-immigrant sentiments.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for play up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1814, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near play up
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20up. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
play up
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