play up vs foreground

play up is not a noun while foreground is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
play up	No	No	Yes	No
foreground	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, play up and foreground are synonyms defined as:

play up and foreground: move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent

Other synonyms of play up include highlight, spotlight.

play up (noun)	foreground (noun)
	(computer science) a window for an active application
	the part of a scene that is near the viewer

play up (verb)	foreground (verb)
move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent	move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent
ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior