overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā 
overplayed; overplaying; overplays
1
a
: to present (a dramatic role) extravagantly : exaggerate
b
: to place too much emphasis on
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
—usually used in the phrase overplay one's hand
3
: to strike a golf ball beyond (a putting green)
: to exaggerate a part or effect
Examples of overplay in a Sentence
The network news overplayed the story just to get good ratings.
He overplayed the death scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
To say that Trump is overplaying America's hand with regard to Russia is an understatement.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Barcelona is just about making its way past an era when overplayed elderly players shuffled about for far too high wages.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
There are moments when the performers overplay the humor, suspense and moral outrage.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The group banks $10K, but in the process, Carolyn overplays her hand, first by trying to argue for a correct answer that was not on the group’s radar, and next by not only picking her own name for an answer, but speaking up for herself in the discussion.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
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David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Barcelona is just about making its way past an era when overplayed elderly players shuffled about for far too high wages.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
There are moments when the performers overplay the humor, suspense and moral outrage.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The group banks $10K, but in the process, Carolyn overplays her hand, first by trying to argue for a correct answer that was not on the group’s radar, and next by not only picking her own name for an answer, but speaking up for herself in the discussion.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overplay
Cite this Entry
“Overplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overplay
verb
over·play
ˌō-vər-ˈplā
1
: exaggerate, overemphasize
newspapers overplayed the story
2
: to rely too much on the strength of
overplayed my hand and lost
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