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
This may be as simple as an argument over what game to play at recess.
—
Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
Like most freshmen playing at a high-major school, the game moved too fast for him at times last season.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
It has been played at multiple Dodger games, and Lamar is known for representing the city of Los Angeles, throwing out the first pitch at a Dodger game before and sporting their signature baseball cap.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The play at first was close, though, and replay review overturned the call.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play at
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Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
Like most freshmen playing at a high-major school, the game moved too fast for him at times last season.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
It has been played at multiple Dodger games, and Lamar is known for representing the city of Los Angeles, throwing out the first pitch at a Dodger game before and sporting their signature baseball cap.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The play at first was close, though, and replay review overturned the call.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play at
Cite this Entry
“Play at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20at. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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