play dead

phrase

: 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

The wrecked car was overturned with the nude model sleeping inside—playing dead with help from a mild sedative. — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 30 Mar. 2026

Will Iran really roll over and play dead like that, though? — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026

After killing Anthony Figueroa, Ricks began stabbing Marcus Figueroa, who played dead until his attacker left the apartment, according to authorities. — Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026

Patriots linebacker Elijah Ponder picked up the ball and ran into the end zone, but the officials had blown the play dead. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for play dead

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead