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
It will be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
—
Samantha Neely, Florida Times-Union, 8 Feb. 2026
Two big musical acts are playing at this year's Super Bowl?
—Seth Jacobson, The Providence Journal, 8 Feb. 2026
What songs will Green Day play at the Super Bowl?
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2026
The preparations had involved Murillo playing at left-back, with Morato alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Aina in his familiar role on the right.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play at
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Samantha Neely, Florida Times-Union, 8 Feb. 2026
Two big musical acts are playing at this year's Super Bowl?
—Seth Jacobson, The Providence Journal, 8 Feb. 2026
What songs will Green Day play at the Super Bowl?
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2026
The preparations had involved Murillo playing at left-back, with Morato alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Aina in his familiar role on the right.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play at
Cite this Entry
“Play at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20at. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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