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

Additionally, Alvarez’s chances to hit a home run will get a pick-me-up from playing at home. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Toronto plays the Fire in Chicago on Thursday night, while the Valkyries play at Dallas on Friday night. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Another plaintiff, Aidan Shaw, played at Boston College in 2025-26 before entering the 2026 NBA draft. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Alice started learning piano at the age of seven and was soon playing at her Sunday school. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for play at

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