play up

verb

1. move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent (Freq. 1)

-

The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics

• Syn: ↑foreground, ↑highlight, ↑spotlight

• Ant: ↑play down, ↑background (for: ↑foreground)

• Derivationally related forms: ↑spotlight (for: ↑spotlight), ↑highlighter (for: ↑highlight), ↑highlight (for: ↑highlight), ↑highlighting (for: ↑highlight), ↑foreground (for: ↑foreground)

• Hypernyms: ↑bring out, ↑set off

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s something

-

Something ——s something

2. ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior

-

She is playing up to the chairman

• Syn: ↑cozy up, ↑cotton up, ↑shine up, ↑sidle up, ↑suck up

• Hypernyms: ↑ingratiate

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s PP

* * *

play up [phrasal verb]

1 play up (something) or play (something) up

1 a : to talk about or treat (something) in a way that gives it special importance : to emphasize or stress (something)

During the interview, try to play down your weaknesses and play up your strengths.

1 b : to make (something) seem bigger or more important

It was only a small achievement though our CEO tried to play it up.

2 play up or play (someone) up Brit : to cause problems or pain

The children have been playing up [=misbehaving, acting up] again.

The camera started playing up [=acting up] after I dropped it.

Whenever it rains, my arthritis starts playing up. [=acting up]

My back has been playing me up again.

• • •

Main Entry: ↑play

* * *

ˌplay ˈup | ˌplay sb ˈup derived

(informal, especially BrE) to cause sb problems or pain

•

The kids have been playing up all day.

•

My shoulder is playing me up today.

Main entry: ↑play_derived