underplaying

verb

present participle of underplay
1
as in understating

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2
as in overplaying

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underplaying
  1. understating
  2. enacting
  3. downplaying
  4. mimicking
  5. acting out
  6. imitating
  7. taking on
  8. aping
Verb
  • To call Molly and Frankie aimless would be, somehow, both understating the case and missing it completely.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Investor Michael Burry went further in November 2025, estimating that big cloud firms were understating AI depreciation by about $176 billion from 2026 through 2028.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of understating
Verb
  • Now, communities are left scrambling to cut budgets and find new sources of revenues, such as enacting a local income tax.
    — Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In 2025, all 50 states saw proposals related to AI introduced, with 38 states enacting some sort of regulation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
    — Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of enacting
Verb
  • In recent weeks, Mets fans have tried to rewrite history, downplaying his role as a leader, and Pete Alonso’s as well.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The complaint suggested that OpenAI’s defense will likely be to blame Van Rootselaar for their violent inputs, while downplaying ChatGPT’s outputs.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of downplaying
Verb
  • Some really solid casting there in evoking, but not mimicking, either Faist or Abbott.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • By mimicking the oarfish’s fluid control, Shepherd’s team aims to construct large, silent robotic monitors capable of observing fragile ocean ecosystems without ever disturbing the wildlife inside them.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of mimicking
Verb
  • The diagnosis came after the actor learned that his own behavior of acting out dreams could be an early Parkinson's symptom.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Inside, under flickering lights, a group of reluctant strangers is coaxed into acting out, in a converted gymnasium, a wild tale promising redemption from agonizing tragedy.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of acting out
Verb
  • Speaking of the oversized, the collection’s Handloom Cardigan fits the bill but spares you from imitating a balloon, courtesy of those vertical stripes (also known as the oldest optical trick in the fashion book).
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Her makeup could not be prettier or more ideal for imitating, with its barely-there shimmer shadow, the softest possible wing, and gloss in what appears to be her natural lip color.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of imitating
Verb
  • Pugh also serves as an executive producer on East of Eden, taking on a central role in the creation of the series since she was brought on in 2020.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Her whole mission in taking on that case was to do it differently than the other case.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of taking on
Verb
  • Critics and fanboy media thrashed Supergirl not just for its Guardians of the Galaxy touchstones, but also for aping Mad Max.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 29 June 2026
  • For Shorts, the label will appear as a small overlay at the bottom of the video itself, although that will add to the already cluttered look of the TikTok-aping Shorts.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Definition of aping
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.

Browse Nearby Words

underplayed
underplaying
underplays
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Cite this Entry

“Underplaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underplaying. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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