play at

phrasal verb

played at; playing at; plays at

1

: to do (something) in a way that is not serious

They were only playing at trying to fix the problem.

2

chiefly British : to play by pretending to be (someone or something)

She liked to play at doctors and nurses as a child.

—often used in the phrase play at being (something)

boys playing at being soldiers

3

British

—used to say in an annoyed way that one does not know the reason for someone's behavior

What is he playing at?

Examples of play at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Poland’s women’s national team made history this summer by qualifying to play at their first-ever UEFA Women’s Euro. —Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

The investigation targeted Mykell Robinson and Jalen Weaver , who played at Fresno State, and Steven Vasquez of San Jose State. —Contessa Brewer,alex Sherman, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia opened the door in December when he was granted an injunction after suing the NCAA, arguing that playing at a JC shouldn’t count against his NCAA eligibility. —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025

By signing the contract, Misa is now ineligible to play at the NCAA level. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for play at

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat