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What is "underplay"

Crossword clues for underplay

underplay
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
underplay
verb
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Even if the latest Catholic reforms underplay the offertory ritual, it is not of itself without meaning or challenge.
▪ For in looking back she underplayed the impact of feminist discourses on the repeal struggle.
▪ For once he was underplaying his hand.
▪ McQueen seems to inspire Hoffman to underplay, too.
▪ Never underplay the Tory party's ruthlessness towards a limping leader, we were told.
▪ Rarely is any news story ever underplayed.
▪ The standard third-world prescription heavily underplays the role of private property.
▪ Whatever his motives, Salah was careful to underplay the contribution education might make to the emancipation and liberation of women.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Underplay

Underplay \Un"der*play`\, n. (Card Playing) The act of underplaying.

Underplay

Underplay \Un`der*play"\, v. i.

  1. To play in a subordinate, or in an inferior manner; to underact a part.

  2. (Card Playing) To play a low card when holding a high one, in the hope of a future advantage.

Wiktionary
underplay

n. The act of underplaying. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To play in a subordinate, or in an inferior manner; to underact a part. 2 (context transitive English) To make something seem less important than it really is. 3 (context transitive card games English) To play a low card when holding a high one, in the hope of a future advantage.

WordNet
underplay

  1. v. act (a role) with great restraint [syn: underact] [ant: overact]

  2. play a card lower than (a held high card)

Usage examples of "underplay".

Bronski said, his face and shoulders sagging slightly in a nicely underplayed gesture of disappointment.

We agreed that it might have been better had we written the paper in a somewhat lower key, underplaying the depth of the claims, and allowing the physics community to judge the paper on its merits, rather than possibly reacting to the form of its presentation.