play the role

idiom

: to act the part of (a particular character) in a film, play, etc.
He often plays the role of the villain.
often used figuratively
He was playing the role of (the) gracious host.

Examples of play the role in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
With New York's entire season riding on this game, the rookie pitcher has the chance play the role of hero again. Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 The Panthers are stalking dynastic status, and 31 teams — especially Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers, who have lost to Florida in the past two Cup Final series — will look to play the role of spoiler. Rob Rossi, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 To play the role, White spent hours studying Springsteen—listening to his memoir on tape, watching old interviews—but knew to avoid imitation. Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Sep. 2025 Strahovski will play the role of County State Attorney, Delaney. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for play the role

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Play the role.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20role. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!