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
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
Who does Clarke play up front - and is there any prospect that whoever it is might have more than crumbs to feed on?
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Even the doctors and nurses play up to this: a donor on a fourth will go in for a check and be greeted by whitecoats smiling and shaking their hand.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
