play it safe

phrase

: to be careful and avoid risk or danger

I decided to play it safe and leave early so that I would be sure to arrive on time.

Examples of play it safe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Manager Matt Busby’s tactics were to play it safe, especially in the opening 20 minutes to quieten the 75,000 Estadio da Luz crowd. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

When Malnati stood on the first tee, his caddie suggested leaving the driver in his bag to play it safe and set up a solid start. — CBS News, 31 July 2026

Traditional reviews encourage employees to play it safe, focusing on quotas and deadlines rather than innovation. — Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

In practice, this means resisting the instinct to play it safe simply because a brand is already big and well distributed. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 July 2026

Rhymes for play it safe

• chafe
• waif
• unsafe
• vouchsafe