play up vs spotlight

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

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

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

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

Other synonyms of play up include foreground, highlight.

play up (noun)	spotlight (noun)
	a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
	a focus of public attention

play up (verb)	spotlight (verb)
move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent	illuminate with a spotlight, as in the theater
ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior	move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent