play up
Meaning(s)
1. to exaggerate something to make it seem more important or severe than it really is
Popularity
Medium
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
play up your injury so the doctor will see you faster
Analysis
When you 'play something up', you exaggerate something so it seems more important or urgent than it really is. You might play something up to receive attention or to highlight a problem. This is a casual expression often used in informal situations and is the opposite of 'to downplay'.
Social Examples (Basic)
- I don't mean to play up the problem, but I'm in severe pain here.
- The footballer played up his injuries to the referee.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- The candidate played up his Jewish heritage in order to win votes in the election.
- If we play up this issue to the town council, we might be able to convince them to grant us some funding.