play up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You don’t play up to a good team and down to a team that is not as good. You stay consistently great,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Many Jews, Ms. Horn explains, have felt pressured to make non-Jews comfortable about their presence “through self-deprecating and ultimately humiliating public displays in popular culture,” which often play up stereotypes in Jewish humor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Teams can play up to six preseason games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Leading Premier League clubs also compete for as many as four different trophies every season, meaning the best players are asked to play up to 60 games in a single campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
George would use psychology on him; he’d play up to the vendor’s education.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
