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
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Watch on YouTubeThey 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
A set of visits to check people or places
A chance in a sequence to act or speak
To have a turn in a game or activity
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
Use a chance as much as possible to get the most from it
- 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
- Specialized
A play in American football where a player throws the ball forward to a teammate
- Literature
A play where characters are good or bad qualities to teach right and wrong
A planned move in American football by the team with the ball to move it or score
- 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 record that plays at a slower speed and lasts longer than older records
- 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
A baseball play where a runner on third base tries to score as the batter bunts
- Jargon
The normal action during a game not counting set pieces like free kicks or penalties
A group performance where actors read a play aloud without full sets or learning lines
- Literature
A play from the Middle Ages that tells Bible stories, often about Jesus, performed for people
- Specialized
A play where a runner must advance and a fielder with the ball touches the base first
- Jargon
A play that lets a defender pass the start line then blocks them to open a gap for the runner
- Literature
A short ancient Greek play mixing serious drama with rude comedy and actors dressed as half-man, half-goat creatures
- Jargon
A baseball play where a runner on third base waits for a bunt then runs home to avoid being out
- Jargon
A risky baseball play where the runner on third base runs home while the batter bunts
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.