at play
idiom
1
: in the act of playing
the sounds of children at play
2
: being something that helps produce or influence a result
Several issues are at play in determining the price of gasoline.
Examples of at play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Halle Berry wins the Oscar, fulfilling Dorothy Dandridge's promise, and introducing Gabourey Sidibe
In addition to the physical aspects, there are psychological thrills here at play.
—
Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 16 May 2024
But there was a deeper force at play beyond just his individual work ethic, which propelled his consecutive albums with Future to unprecedented heights.
—Maha Elnabawi, Billboard, 15 May 2024
Federal investigators said gaps in safety regulations were at play in the crash.
—Austin L. Miller, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024
But use of the heat index to gauge whether José Arturo González Mendoza and his fellow sweet potato harvesters could work safety grossly underestimated the lethal risks at play.
—Ashley Ward and Jordan Clark, STAT, 10 May 2024
Sometimes there were spiritual motivations at play, and sometimes there were social and political ones.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2024
Even with regionalization at play, some congregations may choose to depart the United Methodist Church.
—Sarah Maddox, CBS News, 9 May 2024
Regarding the contrast between Butler’s actual and expected stats, some bad luck might be at play.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
And just as the Dodgers finally completed their blockbuster move for Betts, Moreno reportedly called off the Pederson/Stripling/Pages agreement, later confirming that, while there were other unspecified factors at play, the five-day delay had gnawed at his patience.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 16 May 2024
But there was a deeper force at play beyond just his individual work ethic, which propelled his consecutive albums with Future to unprecedented heights.
—Maha Elnabawi, Billboard, 15 May 2024
Federal investigators said gaps in safety regulations were at play in the crash.
—Austin L. Miller, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024
But use of the heat index to gauge whether José Arturo González Mendoza and his fellow sweet potato harvesters could work safety grossly underestimated the lethal risks at play.
—Ashley Ward and Jordan Clark, STAT, 10 May 2024
Sometimes there were spiritual motivations at play, and sometimes there were social and political ones.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2024
Even with regionalization at play, some congregations may choose to depart the United Methodist Church.
—Sarah Maddox, CBS News, 9 May 2024
Regarding the contrast between Butler’s actual and expected stats, some bad luck might be at play.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
And just as the Dodgers finally completed their blockbuster move for Betts, Moreno reportedly called off the Pederson/Stripling/Pages agreement, later confirming that, while there were other unspecified factors at play, the five-day delay had gnawed at his patience.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at play.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near at play
Cite this Entry
“At play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20play. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
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