play
- noun
- /pleɪ/
- What part does social media play in shaping public opinion?
- power play
Examples
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What role do you think they will play, if any, in this situation?
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In your view, what role does Canada play on the global stage?
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Be careful: This is usually a play to avoid paying you.
Academic text (2011) -
What part did alcohol play in this?
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My question is what role has kindness played in building your success?
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In fact, these factors always come into play in the creation and reform of international regimes.
Academic text (1990) -
Ophelia had made a determined play for him at that disastrous Christmas party at Molly's.
Fiction book (1995) -
The investigation revealed the crucial role that foreign policy plays in diplomatic relations.
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In this negotiation, trust played a significant role in reaching an agreement.
Synonyms
An attempt to get something such as a job or office
A clever trick used to gain an advantage in talk or negotiation
A forceful action to gain control over other people
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 Aggressive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Play comes from the old English plega, meaning an 'action' or 'move', so a clever 'play' for power or advantage is like a planned move in a game.