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
Several reasons could be at play as to why a few of the cases didn’t match, including charges stemming from an out-of-state case or misspelled names.
—
Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 13 Nov. 2025
Yet beneath the anger, both sides recognized something larger at play – the sense that outrage itself is being engineered.
—Adam G. Klein, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025
There's an interesting dichotomy at play here, too.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Clear-eyed, sober decision-making never loses its utility, regardless of the technology at play.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
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Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 13 Nov. 2025
Yet beneath the anger, both sides recognized something larger at play – the sense that outrage itself is being engineered.
—Adam G. Klein, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025
There's an interesting dichotomy at play here, too.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Clear-eyed, sober decision-making never loses its utility, regardless of the technology at play.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
Cite this Entry
“At play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20play. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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