play fast and loose
idiom
: to behave in a clever and dishonest way
—usually + with
He was accused of playing fast and loose with the truth.
reporters playing fast and loose with the facts
Examples of play fast and loose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That willingness to play fast and loose with history gained new momentum in the Monster series, the first two seasons of which made questionable diversions from the life of Jeffrey Dahmer and the saga of the Menendez brothers.
—
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Trump and Xi are visiting misfortune upon the downtrodden, expect all of their policies to be defended by vocal loyalists, and play fast and loose with economic data.
—Vincent Ni, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Hostage ends on a definitive note, but creator Matt Charman's willingness to play fast and loose with its title allows for ample freedom in crafting a potential follow-up season.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Lee has been known to play fast and loose on his @BasedMikeLee feed at times.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 22 July 2025
But along the way, the powers that be began to play fast and loose with continuity.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Private bill For Americans sick of watching companies play fast and loose with their personal data, relief could be on the way.
—Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Little accountability for mistakes means that business owners tend to play fast and loose with safety, as evidenced by China’s grisly history of industrial accidents.
—Bill Drexel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2023
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Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Trump and Xi are visiting misfortune upon the downtrodden, expect all of their policies to be defended by vocal loyalists, and play fast and loose with economic data.
—Vincent Ni, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Hostage ends on a definitive note, but creator Matt Charman's willingness to play fast and loose with its title allows for ample freedom in crafting a potential follow-up season.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Lee has been known to play fast and loose on his @BasedMikeLee feed at times.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 22 July 2025
But along the way, the powers that be began to play fast and loose with continuity.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Private bill For Americans sick of watching companies play fast and loose with their personal data, relief could be on the way.
—Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Little accountability for mistakes means that business owners tend to play fast and loose with safety, as evidenced by China’s grisly history of industrial accidents.
—Bill Drexel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Play fast and loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20fast%20and%20loose. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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