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
And while the Blue Jays’ status as Canada’s only baseball team would always give them a national following, there’s a bit of extra pride at play given recent US-Canada relations.
—
Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The decision would doubtless have been difficult – and, given the personal family dynamics at play, deeply personal.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Or, as suggested by the shadowy figures appearing to trail her every move, are there really more nefarious things at play?
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
But that’s not the only dynamic at play.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
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Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The decision would doubtless have been difficult – and, given the personal family dynamics at play, deeply personal.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Or, as suggested by the shadowy figures appearing to trail her every move, are there really more nefarious things at play?
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
But that’s not the only dynamic at play.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 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 2 Nov. 2025.
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