1
as in to overemphasize
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Recent Examples of overplay
The key is to position your offer as a natural fit for their needs without overplaying your hand.
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Alla Adam, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
But the president-elect's favors are fickle, and there are already signs that Musk may be overplaying his hand.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The president believed that the media, and political rivals such as Trump, were overplaying the threat.
—Joe Klein, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
Hoult is the center of the film and never overplays the torment roiling inside.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay 
Alla Adam, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
But the president-elect's favors are fickle, and there are already signs that Musk may be overplaying his hand.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The president believed that the media, and political rivals such as Trump, were overplaying the threat.
—Joe Klein, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
Hoult is the center of the film and never overplays the torment roiling inside.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overplay
Verb
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Likewise, critics often overemphasize the role of Aung San Suu Kyi’s personal traits while minimizing the structural and situational factors that have influenced her decisions.Tej Parikh, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2017
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Ignoring character, or believing it’s already addressed, leads to the danger of overemphasizing integrity and accountability while neglecting humanity and humility, for example.Mary Crossan, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Gonski said that in addition to overstating certifiers’ responsibilities, Follow the Law’s messaging underplays the protections that already exist.Phoebe Petrovic, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
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In this controversial Claire Denis work, her longtime themes of desire and survival are crystallized in a dead-eyed probe into understanding our most base impulses and the tension underplaying unsteady erotic connections.Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Don't overdo it: Stick to a facial cleansing routine, but remember that cleaning too often can disrupt the stratum corneum, causing more sebum production.Mark Gurarie, Health, 1 Jan. 2025
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Turmeric and green tea lands people in hospital Depositphotos University of Michigan, Ann Arbor researchers found that around 15 million Americans could be putting their liver health at risk by overdoing it with popular supplements.New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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There are few instances of someone overacting more in a movie, unnecessarily adding an undercurrent of murderous, jokey psychotic to an already bizarre creation.Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
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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
Verb
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Many progressive groups grossly exaggerate problems as an argument for federalizing national elections or to use as a fundraising tool.Karlyn Bowman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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The book generated a backlash among Israel’s supporters, and he was accused of exaggerating the situation and misstating some facts.Peter Baker, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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People who want to see tangible change within their own communities should encourage their state lawmakers to enact similar programs – which are already in various stages of development in New York, Oregon, Maryland, Vermont, and Pennsylvania—and vote for local candidates who are pro-climate.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
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And Trump has seemed emboldened by this boost: His staff and surrogates have claimed a mandate to enact swift and comprehensive legislative change and fundamentally rework the administrative state.G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The arrival of Steven Adams was overstated, but starting center Alperen Şengün has become a central figure of Udoka’s scheme, and second-year forward Amen Thompson’s versatility as a reserve gives Houston a plethora of aggressive options.Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
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In many cases, however, critics overstate the severity of these sorts of problems.Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Signing free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman would change the narrative, but require them to act out of character and block a younger player, Jace Jung.Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
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Those concerns faded upon watching the murderer act out in court.Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 2 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overplay. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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