played up
Drew attention to
Played up means emphasized or highlighted, drawing attention to something: The article played up the scandal while ignoring the policy details.
It can also mean acted up or caused trouble, especially of children or malfunctioning equipment: My knee has been playing up lately.
The British sense of misbehavior is less common in American English.
- misbehavedConducted oneself poorly
- acted upBehaved badly or malfunctioned
- flatteredPleased by compliments
- highlightedMarked for emphasis
- underscoredEmphasized with a line
showcased · exaggerated · defied · amplified · accentuated · acted out · disrupted · overstated · emphasized · rebelled · teased · milked · big deal · dramatized · provoked · stirred the pot · spotlighted · persuaded
played upplayed down
Minimized the importance of
downplayed · minimized · de-emphasized · soft-pedaled · underplayed
played upcovered up
suppressed · buried · hushed up · swept under the rug · concealed
played upunderstated
Deliberately minimized in expression
toned down · downplayed · muted · subdued · tempered
play, played, playing, plays, player, players, playful, playfully, playfulness