1
as in to understate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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
The commission notes the abject shortcomings of anti-money-laundering measures but badly underplay the enduring capacities of wealthy trafficking organizations to defy counternarcotics efforts.
—
Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The contributors underplay the overwhelming pressures of population growth and rapid urbanization in some parts of Latin America, as well as the growing aspirations of middle classes that current growth rates will not soon satisfy.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
This double character of Arte Povera—artistic innovation intertwined with political critique—is visible in the artworks, even if the curators underplay it.
—Wilson Tarbox, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Nevertheless, this should not be an excuse for underplaying risks or panic peddling.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for underplay 
Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The contributors underplay the overwhelming pressures of population growth and rapid urbanization in some parts of Latin America, as well as the growing aspirations of middle classes that current growth rates will not soon satisfy.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
This double character of Arte Povera—artistic innovation intertwined with political critique—is visible in the artworks, even if the curators underplay it.
—Wilson Tarbox, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Nevertheless, this should not be an excuse for underplaying risks or panic peddling.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for underplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplay
Verb
-
Barbaro’s Joan Baez, on the other hand, is understated and graceful.Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2024
-
But the Insure Our Future report suggests that even this framing understates the urgency of the crisis.David Vetter, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Trying to downplay or outright ignore the crisis will only make a brand look bad in the eyes of consumers.Emily Reynolds Bergh, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Whereas Zayas is downplaying the theatrical possibilities of a bold script, the director of Kallan Dana’s RACECAR RACECAR RACECAR, Sarah Blush, is leaning all the way in.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Though states and municipalities are generally preempted from enacting their own limits, Congress allowed the EPA to waive the preemption rule to allow California to set certain regulations that are stricter than federal standards.Andrew Chung, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2024
-
The school responded by enacting a dress code that resulted in many of those students being sent to detention.Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
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
-
In regard to overacting, Pacino addresses it on a case-by-case basis: Some movies call for it, like Scarface.Chris Stanton, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Denzel is finally able to act out his one-time fantasy of portraying Jean-Jacques Dessalines in a movie about the Haitian revolution.Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
-
During the Renaissance, people in Italy would act out live nativity scenes to help tell the Christmas story.Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The film dramatizes the Štrpci massacre of 1993, when 24 Bosniak Muslims were pulled off a train by a Serbian paramilitary group and only one man, the Croatian Tomo Buzov, stood up against the attackers.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2024
-
Bob Dylan is weighing in publicly for the first time on an upcoming biopic set to dramatize his early career.Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Teen in Critical Condition After Contracting Canada's First ‘Presumptive’ Human Case of Bird Flu Symptoms of bird flu mimic those associated with influenza, according to the CDC: fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, shortness of breath, stuffy or runny nose, eye redness, and headaches.Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
-
The bodice of the dress mimicked the skirt’s subtle embroidery, with glimmering elements added to the frock.Julia Teti, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near underplay
Cite this Entry
“Underplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplay. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share