plays up

verb

present tense third-person singular of play up
as in emphasizes
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 plays up The concealer, which comes in 25 shades, goes on top to add a subtle glow that plays up the color of the eyes. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 16 Oct. 2026 The hotel plays up its proximity to ACL Live, with framed photographs of the show and an Austin City Limits coffee table book of images captured by the same photographer. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026 As for the rest of the roster, the Yankees decided Friday that Gerrit Cole would start Game 1, a decision driven by how Cole’s stuff plays up at the Trop. — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 As the series continues, however, Kazan plays up the explanatory power of an incident from Cathy’s childhood. — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026 Product marketing plays up the same idea, pitching double-bowl designs such as the 33-inch Ruvati workstation for multitaskers who want one spot for washing veggies and drying dishes. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026 Hair, the Never Thirsty campaign plays up the internet’s fascination with Efron’s shower habits while giving the whole thing a self-aware beauty twist. — Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026 The book is enlivened by Andersen’s gift for satire, which plays up the comic potential of ideological extremes. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Unsurprisingly, the Elie Saab H&M collection plays up after-dark glamour, and just in time for holiday party season, too. — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays up
  1. emphasizes
  2. highlights
  3. features
  4. stresses
Verb
  • When planning these collaborations, Smith emphasizes the importance of authenticity.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The collectibles industry, once a niche hobby, has boomed since the pandemic with the help of marketing that emphasizes huge potential monetary wins.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasizes
Verb
  • The demonstration highlights a persistent challenge in robotics.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • With more than 120 pieces on display — 74 from Krasner and 48 from Pollock — the show highlights Krasner as a titan of Abstract Expressionism, too.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of highlights
Verb
  • The label, which features a Japanese denim line, went public on the Tokyo stock exchange in 2025 at a valuation of roughly $460 million.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • It is remodeled with stylish carpeting, a warm color pallet, and features an attractive tray ceiling with subtle trim work.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of features
Verb
  • Riders without their dragons are as good as dead, and vice versa, which stresses the bond between human and beast formed on Threshing Day.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But, Rubin stresses, the review process doesn't necessarily stop projects from happening — and that's the point of participating in it.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of stresses

Browse Nearby Words

plays out
plays up
plays (upon)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plays up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All