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play dead

idiom

: to lie on one's back and pretend to be dead
She taught her dog to play dead.

Examples of play dead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Right after a whistle blew the play dead, a Flyers fan in the front row stuck up his middle finger at Crosby. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025 Instead, the officials called the play dead for some reason. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Nov. 2025 The Hoosiers quarterback connected with Becker on a slant in the end zone for a touchdown, but the referees blew the play dead because Penn State got a timeout at the last second. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025 Instead of whistling the play dead, the referee on the scene signaled for a goal, giving the Wild a 3-2 win. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for play dead

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Cite this Entry

“Play dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20dead. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

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