play at

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

Since the start of 2024, Sinner was 164-7 in matches that weren’t against his rival Carlos Alcaraz, who didn’t play at Roland Garros due to injury. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 7 June 2026

Our job is to go out there and figure out a way to get this team to play at its highest level to become the best version of themselves. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026

The Chicago White Sox, who played at Comiskey Park on the city’s South Side, had been having trouble filling the stands that summer. —Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 7 June 2026

On Tuesday, Argentina and Iceland play at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, which holds more than 88,000 fans. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 6 June 2026

Rhymes for play at

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