Antonyms for play up to
| Grammar : Verb |
| Spell : pley |
| Phonetic Transcription : pleɪ |
- abandon
- aggravate
- agitate
- anger
- annoy
- answer
- arouse
- be honest
- belittle
- boast
- bore
- bring down
- bully
- castigate
- condemn
- criticize
- damage
- decrease
- delight
- denounce
- deny
- depress
- destroy
- deter
- disappoint
- discontinue
- discourage
- disenchant
- disgust
- dishearten
- dissatisfy
- dissuade
- distress
- disturb
- dull
- enlarge
- eschew
- excite
- fight
- force
- free
- frustrate
- give up
- halt
- hinder
- honor
- hurt
- ignore
- incite
- increase
- insult
- intensify
- irritate
- let go
- liberate
- mismatch
- move
- neglect
- offend
- please
- prevent
- provoke
- refuse
- reject
- release
- repel
- repulse
- retreat
- run away
- shun
- stir
- stop
- straighten
- trouble
- turn away
- turn off
- upset
- worry
- worsen
Definition of play up to
Origin :- Old English plegan, plegian "move rapidly, occupy or busy oneself, exercise; frolic; make sport of, mock; perform music," from West Germanic *plegan "occupy oneself about" (cf. Old Saxon plegan "vouch for, take charge of," Old Frisian plega "tend to," Middle Dutch pleyen "to rejoice, be glad," German pflegen "take care of, cultivate"), from PIE root *dlegh- "to engage oneself," forming words in Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, and possibly Latin.
- Meaning "to take part in a game" is from c.1200. Opposed to work (v.) since late 14c. Related: Played; playing. To play up "emphasize" is from 1909; to play down "minimize" is from 1930; to play along "cooperate" is from 1929. To play with oneself "masturbate" is from 1896; play for keeps is from 1861, originally of marbles or other children's games with tokens. To play second fiddle in the figurative sense is from 1809 ("Gil Blas"). To play into the hands (of someone) is from 1705. To play the _______ card is attested from 1886; to play fair is from mid-15c. To play (something) safe is from 1911; to play favorites is attested from 1902. For play the field see field (n.).
- As in ingratiate : verb get on the good side of someone
- As in inveigle : verb entice, manipulate
- As in pander : verb cater to, indulge
- As in placate : verb soothe, pacify
- As in pursue : verb seek social alliance with
- As in soothe : verb calm, ease
- As in tempt : verb lure, entice
- As in toady : verb fawn
- As in truckle : verb fawn
- As in butter up : verb charm someone with flattery
- As in cajole : verb attempt to coax; flatter
- As in sweet-talk : verb flatter
- As in coddle : verb indulge, pamper
- As in cultivate : verb enrich situation; give special attention
- As in allay : verb reduce something, usually a pain or a problem
- As in fawn : verb ingratiate oneself to; serve
- As in flatter : verb compliment excessively
- As in grovel : verb abase, demean oneself
Synonyms for play up to
- abase
- abate
- address
- adulate
- advance
- allay
- alleviate
- allure
- ameliorate
- appeal to
- appease
- apple polish
- apple-polish
- argue into
- assuage
- attract
- baby
- bait
- balm
- bamboozle
- banter
- be at beck and call
- be obsequious
- be servile
- becalm
- beg
- beg for mercy
- beguile
- beseech
- beslaver
- better
- blandish
- bolster
- bootlick
- bow
- bow and scrape
- bring on
- brown-nose
- brownnose
- buddy up
- build up
- butter
- butter up
- cajole
- call
- calm
- calm down
- captivate
- caress
- cater to
- cave in to
- charm
- chase
- chase after
- cheer
- cherish
- civilize
- coax
- comfort
- compose
- con
- conciliate
- console
- cool
- cool off
- cool out
- cosset
- cotton
- court
- cower
- crawl
- creep
- cringe
- crouch
- crowd
- curry favor
- dare
- date
- debase
- deceive
- decoy
- decrease
- defer
- delude
- develop
- discipline
- draw
- draw out
- dulcify
- dupe
- ease
- eat crow
- eat dirt
- eat humble pie
- egg on
- elevate
- encourage
- enrich
- ensnare
- entice
- entrap
- fall all over
- fall on one's knees
- fascinate
- favor
- fawn
- flatter
- foster
- further
- get around
- get in with
- get next to
- get on good side of
- glorify
- go after
- go for
- gratify
- grovel
- hand a line
- help
- honey
- honey up
- hook
- humble oneself
- humor
- hush
- implore
- improve
- incite
- induce
- influence
- insinuate oneself
- instigate
- intrigue
- inveigle
- invite
- jolly
- kiss one's feet
- kiss-up
- kneel
- kowtow
- lay it on
- lay it on thick
- lead on
- lessen
- lick boots
- lighten
- lull
- lure
- make mouth water
- make much of
- make nice
- make over
- make peace
- make up
- make up to
- maneuver
- massage
- mislead
- mitigate
- moderate
- mollify
- mollycoddle
- motivate
- mousetrap
- move
- nourish
- nurse
- nurture
- oil
- overdo it
- overpraise
- pacify
- pamper
- pander
- patch things up
- pay attention
- pay court
- persuade
- pet
- play the game
- play up to
- please
- polish
- politic
- pour oil on
- praise
- promote
- propitiate
- prostrate
- provoke
- push
- quiet
- quieten
- reconcile
- refine
- relieve
- revere
- risk
- rope in
- rouse
- rub the right way
- run after
- rush
- salve
- satisfy
- scrape
- scratch one's back
- seduce
- seek favor
- seek friendship
- sell
- settle
- shine up to
- slaver
- smooth down
- snivel
- snow
- soap
- soft-pedal
- soft-soap
- soften
- soften up
- solicit
- soothe
- spark
- spoil
- spread it on
- square
- still
- stimulate
- stoop
- string along
- stroke
- subdue
- submit
- suck up to
- sue
- sweet talk
- sweet-talk
- sweeten
- sweeten up
- sweetheart
- take pains with
- take the bite out
- take the edge off
- take the sting out
- tantalize
- tempt
- test
- toady
- toll
- train
- tranquilize
- truckle
- try
- turn one's head
- unburden
- untrouble
- urge
- wheedle
- whet
- win over
- woo
- work on
- work over
- yes
- yield
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019