act/play the fool

idiom

: to behave in a silly or foolish way
If you keep playing the fool by asking silly questions, people won't take you seriously.

Examples of act/play the fool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gabler has surprised with his ability to go with the flow and play the fool when necessary. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 16 Nov. 2022 That’s not cause for any of us to tear off our masks and act the fool during the Labor Day weekend. Dallas News, 5 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'act/play the fool.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Act/play the fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%2Fplay%20the%20fool. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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