play at

phrasal verb

played at; playing at; plays at

1

: to do (something) in a way that is not serious

They were only playing at trying to fix the problem.

2

chiefly British : to play by pretending to be (someone or something)

She liked to play at doctors and nurses as a child.

—often used in the phrase play at being (something)

boys playing at being soldiers

3

British

—used to say in an annoyed way that one does not know the reason for someone's behavior

What is he playing at?

Examples of play at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Susie Horgan grew up with Bob Lawton, Sonic Youth’s agent, who arranged for the band to play at a Shake-A-Leg benefit in the early 1990s in Newport, Rhode Island, where the organization was first based. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 9 June 2024

The game will be played at either 11:00 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 and will be broadcast on ESPN and can watched on their website or app. —Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2024

Today, those same songs are being played at open-air festivals and in trendy bars. —Daria Mitiuk Brendan Hoffman, New York Times, 5 June 2024

Guests who choose to play at Punta Espada will have transportation to the greens directly from the resort. —Ryan Smith, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2024