play the part
idiom
: to act the part of (a particular character) in a film, play, etc.
He often plays the part of the villain.
—often used figurativelyI've played the part of (the) devoted wife and mother, and now I want to do something more with my life.
He was playing the part of (the) gracious host.
Examples of play the part in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In live performances of the indie pop hit, Role Model has often invited a fan, another musician, or some other special guest to play the part of Sally.
—
William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
And Jackie said, ‘Kristin, play the part.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
In their heyday, Jake was the pinup, ready to play the part in which the music industry cast him, while drummer Vince was the artist—and the drug-abusing liability.
—Judy Berman, Time, 7 Sep. 2025
Still, Reeves didn’t just play the part for laughs.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play the part
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William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
And Jackie said, ‘Kristin, play the part.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
In their heyday, Jake was the pinup, ready to play the part in which the music industry cast him, while drummer Vince was the artist—and the drug-abusing liability.
—Judy Berman, Time, 7 Sep. 2025
Still, Reeves didn’t just play the part for laughs.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play the part
Cite this Entry
“Play the part.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20part. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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