play coy

phrase

US

: to avoid giving a direct or complete answer

When asked about his next book, he played coy.

Examples of play coy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The idea of a reunion has long been discussed, though the brothers often play coy. — Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026

Lund doesn’t play coy with this obvious metaphor. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

And unlike other fighters who might play coy, Wilder leaned straight into it. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Travis Kelce tries to play coy when asked about recently visiting New York. — Bryan West, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Olivia Rodrigo loves to play coy and tease her ex-beaus in her music. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024