play
- noun
- /pleɪ/
- During the football match, the coach called for a clever play that surprised the opposing team.
- fair play
- team play
- come into play
They got touchdowns, big plays, little plays, everything and big wins.
- They got touchdowns, big plays, little plays, everything and big wins.
- So it's just a big play, big game they're playing.
Examples
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Get a deeper knowledge of every play and learn why you throw each pitch.
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Kansas scores on the eight-play drive, capped with Rogers's 32-yard run.
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Big time players make big time plays and big time situations.
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So let's imagine that he calls that play and the pass is caught.
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Understand that baseball is a sport where play stops after every pitch.
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Every 4 serves, stop play and ask the questions until you get 3 responses.
Academic text (2012) -
Somebody makes a nice play, they look at Frank to see how he reacts.
Fiction book (1992) -
Instead of using a playbook, these athletes need to talk through a play or sequence of skills.
Academic text (2012) -
Thus, continued participation and selection for higher-level play appear to explain the existence of the age effect.
Academic text (1992) -
Here’s a bouncer to third, easy play for Dorn.
Synonyms
To have a turn in a game or activity
A chance in a sequence to act or speak
A set of visits to check people or places
A clever move to gain an advantage in a game or fight
Take one's turn in a game
The normal action during a game not counting set pieces like free kicks or penalties
A set time in a game or match when the action continues
A part of a game when play happens for a set time
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
Act in a careless way by ignoring rules and other people's feelings
Not part of the game, for example when the ball or a player leaves the playing area
- Offensive
To pretend to be treated unfairly to get sympathy or avoid blame
- Literature
To mention someone's gender to gain an advantage in a discussion
- Informal
To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively
- Slang
Tell someone angrily to do something dangerous to stop them complaining
Compounds
Honest behavior that treats everyone the same and follows the rules in sport or competition
- Literature
A play where characters are good or bad qualities to teach right and wrong
- Specialized
Works as soon as you connect or install it without needing any setup
A golf contest where each hole is a separate game and the player who wins more holes wins the contest
- Specialized
A play in American football where a player throws the ball forward to a teammate
- Jargon
A baseball or softball play when the defending team gets three players out in one action
- Jargon
A football play where the quarterback fakes a pass then hands the ball to a running back
- Jargon
The normal action during a game not counting set pieces like free kicks or penalties
A planned move in American football by the team with the ball to move it or score
- Literature
A play from the Middle Ages that tells Bible stories, often about Jesus, performed for people
A group performance where actors read a play aloud without full sets or learning lines
- Jargon
A baseball play where a runner on third base tries to score as the batter bunts
- Specialized
A play where a runner must advance and a fielder with the ball touches the base first
- Jargon
A baseball play where a runner on third base waits for a bunt then runs home to avoid being out
- Literature
A short ancient Greek play mixing serious drama with rude comedy and actors dressed as half-man, half-goat creatures
- Jargon
A risky baseball play where the runner on third base runs home while the batter bunts
- Jargon
A play that lets a defender pass the start line then blocks them to open a gap for the runner
How Important
Surface Forms
Etymology
Play comes from the old English plega, which meant 'action' or 'move', so a 'play' in a game is just one action or move made by a player.