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
Memorial Park, which also annually hosts the PGA Tour, played at 6,811 yards for the women in Houston this week, which is on the longer side of a typical LPGA course setup.
—
Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The Crush played at Ball Arena (then the Pepsi Center) from 2003-08, winning the ArenaBowl in ’05, and disbanded when the Arena Football League canceled its season in ’09.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Former Husky tight end Justin Joly, who finished at NC State, was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round, center Matt Gulbin, from Wilton High, who played at Wake Forest and Michigan State, was picked by the Commanders in the sixth.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Johnson played at Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
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Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The Crush played at Ball Arena (then the Pepsi Center) from 2003-08, winning the ArenaBowl in ’05, and disbanded when the Arena Football League canceled its season in ’09.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Former Husky tight end Justin Joly, who finished at NC State, was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round, center Matt Gulbin, from Wilton High, who played at Wake Forest and Michigan State, was picked by the Commanders in the sixth.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Johnson played at Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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