PLAY UP Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

play up

verb

Definition of play up

as in to highlight

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on that TV news program plays up sensational stories just to get higher ratings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of play up Boobie had also been playing up one — or two even — age levels. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Khusnutdinov, on whom the B’s are high, morphed into Sturm’s Swiss Army knife last season, playing up and down and all over the lineup. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Digital players can play up to 20 games per weekly entry period, according to the official contest rules. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 Trump played up the industry’s potential in the days after Maduro’s capture. — Fabiola Zerpa, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for play up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up

Verb

Held over 10 days each October, the event started in 1957 as a way to both highlight the bridges and unite the county’s communities in a tourism effort.

— Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 2 Sep. 2026
Most videos across the network were titled with the name of a Democratic politician, followed by an all-caps verb highlighting a negative economic story, a recent scandal, or alleged corruption.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of highlight

Verb

At a high level of abstraction, some scholars emphasize the multiplicity itself as a key aspect of Hinduism.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Since Tiffany’s attacks began, Crowley has moved in Hong’s general direction, emphasizing his requirements—using exclusively renewable energy to power new data centers, building them with union labor—for developers to receive the tax breaks.

— Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of emphasize

Verb

Community health workers also stress AI's inability to build trust and human connection, especially in underserved areas.

— Lisa Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Responding to journalists' questions, Macron urged the United States not to hoard cutting-edge AI technologies for itself and stressed that countries must engage in global cooperation on AI regulation.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of stress

Verb

The publication grew under her leadership, and encompassed a more diverse range of voices, featuring the likes of Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, and Alice Walker.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
The 2027 edition of Hot Docs, set for April 23-May 2, is sure to feature a lineup of world premieres and acclaimed documentaries from around the globe.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026