WordWeb Online

1. Emphasise or focus on to make more important or prominent
   "The introduction played up the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics";
   - foreground, highlight, spotlight
    
2. [informal] Ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behaviour
   "She is playing up to the chairman";
   - cozy up [N. Amer], cotton up [archaic], suck up, cosy up [Brit, Cdn]
    
3. [Brit, informal] Function erratically; stop working reliably
   "my computer is playing up again";
   - act up [informal]
    
4. [Brit, informal] Cause pain or difficulty
   "her back is playing up"
    
5. [Brit, informal] Behave annoyingly or cause trouble
   "The boys have been playing up at school again"

Derived forms: plays up, played up, playing up

See also: emphasise [Brit], emphasize, underline, underscore

Type of: bring out, ingratiate, set off