Play Up (Verb)
Meaning 1
Ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior; "She is playing up to the chairman".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- The new intern is playing up to the boss in hopes of getting a promotion.
- He knows how to play up to his grandparents to get what he wants.
- She is playing up to the host in an attempt to get invited again.
- The comedian is playing up to the audience, trying to get a bigger laugh.
- He's been playing up to his professor, asking for extra attention and guidance.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent; "The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The special effects in the film play up the dramatic impact of the explosion scene.
- The marketing strategy will play up the product's eco-friendly features to attract environmentally conscious consumers.
- The fashion designer chose a bold color scheme to play up the model's striking features on the runway.
- The documentary plays up the importance of the groundbreaking research in the field of medicine.
- The opening ceremony will play up the host country's rich cultural heritage to an international audience.