if children play up or play someone up, they behave badly in a way that they think is funny
to cause difficulties or pain for someone
to try to persuade people to believe that something is more important than it is
Children will play up mostly with their parents.
Her back is playing up again.
It is a connection she plays up in the first of her investigations into the aftermath of the uprisings across the Arab world.
It's great for the condition of my skin if it has been playing up in any way.
I’m exhausted! The children have been really playing up this afternoon.
My back’s been playing me up all day.
Of course, top executives have an interest in playing up the importance of leadership.
The newspapers have really played up the government’s poor election results.
The printer’s playing up again.
plays up
playing up
played up
There is no origin for this phrasal verb
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