overplay

verb

over·​play ˌō-vər-ˈplā 

overplayed; overplaying; overplays

transitive verb

1

a

: to present (a dramatic role) extravagantly : exaggerate

b

: to place too much emphasis on

2

: to rely too much on the strength of

—usually used in the phrase overplay one's hand

3

: to strike a golf ball beyond (a putting green)

intransitive verb

: to exaggerate a part or effect

Examples of overplay in a Sentence

The network news overplayed the story just to get good ratings.

He overplayed the death scene.

Recent Examples on the Web

Asked about the risk of overplaying one of the NHL’s marquee blueliners, Wild coach John Hynes said there is little concern about Hughes’ workload. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026

Best of all, the Tony nominee smartly resists overplaying the joke, grounding the part enough that Brad's unraveling becomes funnier. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026

The narrative about a League Cup paving the way for greater things is convenient, but won’t be overplayed either way in Arsenal’s camp. —Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026

Lue has tried to stagger their minutes to not overplay them. —Janis Carr, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing overplay

• overplay one's cards
• overplay one's hand

Rhymes for overplay

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

overplay

verb

over·​play ˌō-vər-ˈplā 

1

: exaggerate, overemphasize

newspapers overplayed the story

2

: to rely too much on the strength of

overplayed my hand and lost