The meaning of Play-up

phrasal verb

Emphasize or exaggerate the extent or importance of something.

Usage examples:

The mystery surrounding his death was played up by the media

phrasal verb

(of a child) misbehave.

Usage examples:

I hadn't had much sleep—the kids had been playing up

phrasal verb

Put all one's energy into a game.

Usage examples:

The captain told his team to play up

phrasal verb

To behave or operate in a way that causes difficulty

Usage examples:

Is your ulcer playing up again?, the report plays up the benefits of the plan, but doesn’t say much…

phrasal verb

To emphasize something or try to make people believe it is important

Usage examples:

The ad campaign played up the refreshing qualities of bottled water, rather than claiming any medic…