make a play for
idiom
1
: to try to get (someone or something)
She made a play for the job, but she didn't get it.
2
: to try to start a romantic or sexual relationship with (someone)
He made a play for her.
Examples of make a play for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs are among the teams that could make a play for Antetokounmpo.
—
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, there’s been speculation that Sony might make a play for WBD, but sources tell Variety the company is not interested.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Netflix Head-Scratcher Comments by Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters during the company’s quarterly earnings interview this week signaled to some on Wall Street that the giant streamer may make a play for WBD.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Just trying to make a play for my team.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a play for
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Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, there’s been speculation that Sony might make a play for WBD, but sources tell Variety the company is not interested.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Netflix Head-Scratcher Comments by Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters during the company’s quarterly earnings interview this week signaled to some on Wall Street that the giant streamer may make a play for WBD.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Just trying to make a play for my team.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a play for
Cite this Entry
“Make a play for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20play%20for. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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