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 figuratively

I'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

Mulligan got her chance to play the part more than a decade later, when she was cast as Sophie in a 2019 spoof of Mamma Mia! —Nicole Briese, People.com, 20 July 2025

Perhaps Gen Z should be applauded for allowing the mask to slip, and refusing to play the part of the attentive employee, who is always expected to deliver service with a friendly smile. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025

McDonald is the first Black actress ever to play the part on Broadway. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 27 May 2025

The first Mission: Impossible movie took Peter Graves’ role in the original TV series — Jim Phelps, director of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) — enlisted Jon Voight to play the part, and took him out of the spotlight. —Will Harris, EW.com, 23 May 2025

Rhymes for play the part

• counterpart
• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart