play politics
idiom
disapproving
: to say or do things for political reasons instead of doing what is right or what is best for other people
She's been accused of playing politics with the investigation.
Examples of play politics in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No help showing, no regulation or tilt toward We The People from our representatives who soak in cash in our pay to play politics.
—
Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 18 June 2025
This was never anything more than an attempt to run interference, help the defendants in our cases avoid accountability, and play politics with the Constitution.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Time to play politics First, our governor, senators and congressional representatives who express such pride in our university system need to stand up and defend it.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
The other part, however, is that the women are trying their best to play politics.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for play politics
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.
Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 18 June 2025
This was never anything more than an attempt to run interference, help the defendants in our cases avoid accountability, and play politics with the Constitution.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Time to play politics First, our governor, senators and congressional representatives who express such pride in our university system need to stand up and defend it.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
The other part, however, is that the women are trying their best to play politics.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for play politics
Cite this Entry
“Play politics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20politics. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share