Underplay (Verb)
Meaning 1
Play a card lower than (a held high card).
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- She underplayed her queen by laying down the jack of hearts first, to keep her high card hidden for now.
- His opponent thought he was just being cautious, but underplaying his ace was actually a clever bluff.
- The poker player knew it was better to underplay his strong hand at the start, so as not to scare off the others too early.
- To avoid raising suspicion, he decided to underplay his high card and match his friend's lower wager.
- If she underplayed her high card too much, though, she might just lose her chances at winning the entire game.
Meaning 2
Act (a role) with great restraint.
Classification
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing.
Examples
- Denzel Washington is known for underplaying his characters to let their subtle emotions shine through.
- In her breakout role, she underplayed her performance to let the other actors take the spotlight.
- Despite being a comedic actor, he chose to underplay the humor in this serious scene.
- The experienced actress learned to underplay her reaction to avoid stealing the scene from her co-star.
- By underplaying his emotions, the young actor gave a deeply nuanced portrayal of the complex character.