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

Doncic has been on a scoring tear for the Lakers, his play at such a high level that even coach JJ Redick has marveled at the guard’s achievements. — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

In fact, Taylor’s playing at the beginning of the first set almost feels like a more angular take on early-’60s Money Jungle-era Ellington. — Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026

Up next Idaho plays at Colorado State on Friday, and George Fox visits Portland State on Saturday. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

At 41 years old and still playing at an elite level, some might say LeBron James is aging like a fine wine. — CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for play at

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