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to play

to play

122 6.1
Control a hooked fish to wear it out before you pull it in
  • verb
  • /pleɪ/
translation icon : moverse
  • Do not open or play with the blades.

Examples

  • They'll play on this wet field.

  • The presence of other souls is as palpable as light playing in the edges of her robe.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Climate change may have a part to play in this changing epidemiology.

    Academic text (2011)
  • It is not possible to play without a monitor then.

  • The orange light from Huron torches, now closer, plays on the wall behind her.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • At the very least, superpower rivalries allowed an Arab leader to play one off against the other.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Flames darted up to pierce the clouds and play among them like spirits gone mad.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Correspondingly, the local court began to play a more interventionist role in working-class family and domestic life.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Over in the park, the fountain played; a day-care center's worth of tiny kids ran and screamed.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The cylinder in the machine has enough room to play freely without any obstruction.

Antonyms

361 3.1

Limit how much people can use or access something

13 4.4

Get stuck and stop moving or working

Idioms

To take part in a contest or activity by following the rules

to play God
  • Informal
34 8.5

To act as if you have the right to decide other people's lives

31 4.7

Being a factor that affects a situation

22 5.8

To take a big risk that can cause harm

Decide what to do as things happen rather than plan ahead

10 7.8

To bring up race or accuse someone of racism to get support

to play chicken
  • Informal
9 8.8

Act dangerously to see who gives up first

Treat someone as stupid to trick or cheat them

to play the fool
  • Informal
7 4.6

Act in a silly way to make others laugh or avoid being serious

6 8.0

Act in a careless way by ignoring rules and other people's feelings

To have an important effect on how something happens

to play possum
  • Informal
5 8.4

Pretend to be dead or asleep to avoid danger

5 3.2

To work well with other people in a team

3 3.3

Not part of the game, for example when the ball or a player leaves the playing area

1 9.1

To reach and please ordinary people in small American towns

1 8.5

To pretend to be treated unfairly to get sympathy or avoid blame

1 7.3

To lead a group or activity as the most important person

1 9.9

Act in a foolish, annoying way instead of being serious

1 8.0

To mention someone's gender to gain an advantage in a discussion

Use clever or dishonest moves to get an advantage

To accept what you cannot change and make the best of it

To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively

A score by a team while the other team controls the game

To show all your plans and what you can do

9.0

To trick someone easily so you can get what you want

To get involved in other people's arguments or problems

Tell someone angrily to do something dangerous to stop them complaining

Use a chance as much as possible to get the most from it

Taking silly risks leads to bad results

Act in a clever, tricky way to fool others

To focus on the issue, not on the person

Act in a silly way like a clown to make people laugh

to play the whiner
  • Offensive
8.7

Act like a person who complains a lot to get sympathy

9.9

To claim someone was raped to get sympathy or advantage

Pretend to be ill to avoid going to work or school

To think clearly and act normally

A lifestyle of very hard work followed by active free time

Phrasal Verbs

213 3.6

To continue happening until it ends

200 1.0

To take part in fun activities that have rules

To help decide what happens in a situation

to play along
  • Informal
54 4.2

To agree or pretend to agree to avoid trouble

To make music using a guitar

to play around
  • Informal
47 3.4

To try something in a casual playful way without being serious

To act in a show or help make something happen

Choose a careful option to avoid risks

To act as a character in a play or as someone in a real situation

to play dumb
  • Informal
34 6.7

Pretend not to know or understand something to avoid trouble

to play ball
  • Informal
33 4.6

To work with others and do what they want

to play it cool
  • Informal
27 4.5

Act calm and relaxed to hide nervousness

to play hardball
  • Informal
26 7.0

Act aggressively to get what you want when you compete with others

23 2.3

Act honestly and follow the rules in a game or situation

to play hooky
  • Informal
20 7.7

To stay away from school or work without permission

18 3.0

To continue a game or match until it ends

16 4.3

To make something seem less important than it really is

To make someone believe something that is not true as a joke

15 3.0

Hear or watch a recording again on a device

To use secret or unfair actions to gain power at work

13 7.7

Date several different people without wanting a serious relationship

9 4.3

Make something seem more important or impressive than it is

Try to win a game or match rather than just take part

8 7.9

To have sex with someone outside your relationship

8 5.4

To become used up so nothing is left

to play as
  • Jargon
7 3.4

To take the role of a character in a video game

A game where you throw a ball for a dog to run after and bring back

To fool someone as a joke

5 3.2

To trick someone in a friendly way to make them laugh

Use people's fears to make them do what you want

To make music with an accordion

To act honestly and directly without tricking others

Do small tricks to surprise or make someone laugh

4 2.5

To take part in the sport of cricket

to play for time
  • Informal
4 5.0

To delay on purpose to get more time before deciding or acting

to play pretend
  • Baby Talk
4 2.9

Act as if you are someone or something imaginary

To make music with another person or a recording

3 6.3

To make one person or group compete with another to gain an advantage

to play big
  • Informal
3 8.2

To act with confidence and take big risks

To try to win money by betting on a spinning wheel

3 9.1

To touch your own private parts to feel sexual pleasure

Buy and sell stocks to try to make a profit

2 6.1

To act out a scene to practice or show how something happens

1 4.6

To react to someone’s words or actions in a way that creates humor

to play up
  • Informal
1 5.5

Try to get someone's approval by giving false praise

To act with less confidence or ambition than you can

To trick someone who trusts you by hiding your real plans to get something for yourself

1 2.7

To hit a small ball over a net with paddles in table tennis

9.9

To dance or move in a lively, playful way at a party

to play hob
  • Archaic
9.9

To cause problems and confusion in a plan or system

To have fun with more energy after working hard

To act as if you are attracted to the opposite sex to hide your true sexual feelings

to play it cheap
  • Informal
8.2

Spend as little money as possible by buying low-quality things

Make two people or groups compete to get an advantage for yourself

Do your share of the work to help a group

9.9

To act in a shocking way online to get attention or a reaction

9.9

Take part in the card game tonk

Compounds

46 5.3

An illegal, violent, or dishonest action that suggests a crime

16 3.0

Honest behavior that treats everyone the same and follows the rules in sport or competition

double play
  • Jargon
14 3.0

A baseball play that gets two players out in one move

14 3.3

An activity where people pretend to be someone else to practice real situations

power play
  • Jargon
8 4.3

A time in hockey when one team has more players because of penalties

child's play
  • Informal
6 1.0

An activity that is very easy to do

power play
  • Literature
4 6.3

A forceful action to gain control over other people

4 4.4

A play in American football where a player runs forward with the ball

3 3.9

A short play with only one act

morality play
  • Literature
3 9.9

A play where characters are good or bad qualities to teach right and wrong

2 2.0

A small informal group where young children meet to play and learn

plug and play
  • Specialized
2 4.2

Works as soon as you connect or install it without needing any setup

1 5.6

A golf contest where each hole is a separate game and the player who wins more holes wins the contest

passing play
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A play in American football where a player throws the ball forward to a teammate

1 8.4

A play that shows the last days of Jesus, especially his suffering and death

triple play
  • Jargon
1 6.1

A baseball or softball play when the defending team gets three players out in one action

draw play
  • Jargon
1 6.2

A football play where the quarterback fakes a pass then hands the ball to a running back

run of play
  • Jargon
1 6.1

The normal action during a game not counting set pieces like free kicks or penalties

play therapy
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A way for children to show feelings and solve problems using play

1 7.4

A show that uses hand or puppet shadows on a screen to tell a story

1 3.0

Things children do for fun without strict rules

1 2.9

A planned move in American football by the team with the ball to move it or score

miracle play
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A play from the Middle Ages showing events from a saint's life

mystery play
  • Literature
1 9.9

A play from the Middle Ages that tells Bible stories, often about Jesus, performed for people

1 3.4

A show using puppets to tell a story

1 4.5

A group performance where actors read a play aloud without full sets or learning lines

power play
  • Jargon
1 4.6

A team plan that puts several players in one area to try to score

squeeze play
  • Jargon
1 7.5

A baseball play where a runner on third base tries to score as the batter bunts

1 7.4

A way of putting pressure on someone to make them agree

1 4.3

A pause in a game because of bad weather or other events

stroke play
  • Specialized
1 5.9

A way to score golf where the lowest total shots wins

word play
  • Informal
1 4.1

A clever or funny use of words to make jokes

An action by players during a baseball game to help the team win

A planned action a basketball team uses during a game to score or defend

A story that actors perform on stage

force play
  • Specialized
7.3

A play where a runner must advance and a fielder with the ball touches the base first

four-act play
  • Archaic
6.3

A play divided into four parts that each show part of the story

long-play
  • Specialized
6.0

A record that plays at a slower speed and lasts longer than older records

long-play
  • Jargon
6.8

A full recording of someone playing a video game from start to finish

medal play
  • Jargon
6.2

A way to score golf where the player with the fewest total shots wins

hold-up play
  • Jargon
5.9

A way a player keeps the ball to let teammates move forward

8.4

A baseball play where a runner on third base waits for a bunt then runs home to avoid being out

A set time in a game or match when the action continues

play-actor
  • Archaic
7.2

An actor who travels to different towns to act in plays

play-box
  • Archaic
8.4

A box a child uses to keep toys and personal things

2.7

A soft colorful material children shape with their hands to make objects

satyr play
  • Literature
9.9

A short ancient Greek play mixing serious drama with rude comedy and actors dressed as half-man, half-goat creatures

A risky baseball play where the runner on third base runs home while the batter bunts

trap play
  • Jargon
7.3

A play that lets a defender pass the start line then blocks them to open a gap for the runner

9.9

A stage play that shows rich people's dramatic, emotional lives

How Loose

to rattle
151 2.2
to wobble
40 3.8
to play
122 6.1
to stick
752 3.4

Surface Forms

play infinitive
played past
played past participle
playing present participle
plays third person singular

Etymology

Play comes from the old English plegian, meaning 'to manage movement', and in fishing to 'play' a fish means to let it move and to control it carefully until you bring it in.