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to underbill

to underbill

9.9
To put someone's name lower on posters or credits to make them seem less important
  • verb
  • /ˈʌndərˌbɪl/
  • Jargon
translation icon : subrepresentar
  • The director decided to underbill the new actor, placing her name at the bottom of the credits.

Examples

  • He was surprised to see his name underbilled on the concert poster, below less experienced performers.

  • Some musicians feel frustrated when event organizers underbill them despite their popularity.

  • I will underbill him.

  • Don't underbill her!

  • The event planner decided to underbill the well-known band by listing their name in a small font on the program.

  • After receiving numerous complaints, the festival organizers promised not to underbill the talented acts in future events.

  • To avoid overshadowing the headliner, the venue manager chose to underbill the opening act during the advertisement.

Synonyms

to overshadow
vsto underbill
48 5.9

To make someone or something seem less important compared with another

lowers public visibility directly by listing a name lower or less noticeably
to underplay
vsto underbill
6 5.3

Make something seem less important than it really is

reduces prominence by placing a name lower in credits or ads
to undersell
vsto underbill
2 4.5

Make something seem less important or valuable than it really is

reduces public prominence by placing a name in a less visible position
to underrepresent
vsto underbill
1 5.8

Show something as less common or important than it really is

focuses on listing a name lower or less noticeable in promotions

How Prominent

to credit
110 3.5
to mention
1.0
to underbill
  • Jargon
9.9
to downplay
59 5.3
to omit
66 3.4

Surface Forms

underbill infinitive
underbilled past participle
underbilling present participle
underbills third person singular

Morphology

underbill = bill (semi-transparent) = under + bill

Formally 'under' + 'bill' is clear, but the specialized meaning (giving lower prominence in billing order) may not be obvious to all learners unfamiliar with theatrical/advertising 'billing'.

Etymology

Underbill comes from under- ('below') and bill ('name on a poster' or 'listing'). So to underbill a performer is to put their name 'below' others or in a less noticeable place on posters or credits.