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
Thor had the physique of a god, so Hemsworth spent a lot of time working out and training to play the part.
—
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Managers even do live role-play scenarios with professional actors who play the part of their team members.
—Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
In the film, Cline will play a pop star; sources say Apatow and studio execs had been looking at real-life pop stars to play the part but in recent weeks had opened up the audition process.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
His oldest son, 5-year-old Liam, dribbled a basketball around his siblings and begged his mother to play the part of the actual hoop.
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play the part
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Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Managers even do live role-play scenarios with professional actors who play the part of their team members.
—Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
In the film, Cline will play a pop star; sources say Apatow and studio execs had been looking at real-life pop stars to play the part but in recent weeks had opened up the audition process.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
His oldest son, 5-year-old Liam, dribbled a basketball around his siblings and begged his mother to play the part of the actual hoop.
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
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 13 Feb. 2026.
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