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
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Recent Examples of play up
The pop-up itself will play up some of the jokes in the show - like the sprinklers on the ceiling that are supposed to be filled with blood.
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Jeanette Hurt, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
After that opener, the album is a litany of scenarios that play up guilt, betrayal, anxiety, resilience, and everything else that reduces interpersonal workings into a high-stakes chess match.
—Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2024
House Republicans have also tried to play up non-citizen voting as an issue, including with several unsuccessful attempts to to create a federal law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024
Popular on Variety The alliance of hip-hop and wrestling was played up heavily during the event.
—Shaheem Reid, Variety, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play up 
Jeanette Hurt, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
After that opener, the album is a litany of scenarios that play up guilt, betrayal, anxiety, resilience, and everything else that reduces interpersonal workings into a high-stakes chess match.
—Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2024
House Republicans have also tried to play up non-citizen voting as an issue, including with several unsuccessful attempts to to create a federal law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024
Popular on Variety The alliance of hip-hop and wrestling was played up heavily during the event.
—Shaheem Reid, Variety, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play up
Verb
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Similarly, Paramount Global — the parent company of CBS, MTV, and Nickelodeon — also highlighted the growth of its FAST service Pluto TV to investors this month.Bruce Gil, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
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His experience highlighted the critical role of leadership and HR in the success of a large-scale franchise.Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Holistic Employee Well-Being Many organizations emphasize the importance of work-life balance, mental health support and a positive work environment, but these initiatives frequently fall short.Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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Collison also emphasized that areas with deteriorating or no sidewalks, commonly in low-income neighborhoods, shouldn’t be left out of redevelopment.Daryl Perry, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Three more benchmarks stress the CPU, using all available cores and threads to rate a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads.PCMAG, PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while congratulating Trump, stressed the importance of the trans-Atlantic partnership, noting that millions of jobs and billions in trade rely on stable relations.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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For that reason, the store scheduled a free discussion last night featuring a panel set to include Ra Avis, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, Luis Garcia, Ahmanise Sanati, and Christopher Soto.Erik Pedersen, Orange County Register, 15 Nov. 2024
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This year's history-making shortlist featured five women including Rachel Kushner and Charlotte Wood.Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near play up
Cite this Entry
“Play up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20up. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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