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

As media psychologist Don Grant, PhD, previously told Glamour, this behavior is part of a long history of girls wanting to play at being older. —Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 13 Nov. 2025

Mayes, who rushed for 3,484 yards from 1986 to 1993, played at a time when Canadian imports were few and far between in the NFL. —Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2025

The lone jackpot winner among Wednesday’s Powerball, Fantasy 5, Florida Lotto and Cash4Life games experienced the high of good fortune after playing at a Hialeah smoke shop. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2025

The film played at France’s Deauville American Film Festival in 2024 and also screened at the Denver and Glasgow film festivals. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for play at

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat