play at

phrasal verb

played at; playing at; plays at
1
: to do (something) in a way that is not serious
They were only playing at trying to fix the problem.
2
chiefly British : to play by pretending to be (someone or something)
She liked to play at doctors and nurses as a child.
often used in the phrase play at being (something)
boys playing at being soldiers
3
British
used to say in an annoyed way that one does not know the reason for someone's behavior
What is he playing at?

Examples of play at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web How to watch and listen to Rams vs. Vikings The Rams and Vikings will play at 5:15 p.m. PDT on Thursday at SoFi Stadium. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 Mexican folk music would be played at the stadium, and the Dodgers even hired more Spanish-speaking ushers to accommodate the influx of new Hispanic fans. Homero De La Fuente, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 What makes Oklahoma City so special is the team’s ability to play at an elite level on both ends. Nick Crain, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Going out there, playing at a high level on both ends of the floor. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for play at 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play at.' 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 play at

Cite this Entry

“Play at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20at. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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