play at

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

Dawson, a Westlake alum who went on to play at North Carolina and then the NFL, is in his first season as head coach of the private school in Marietta. — Mcclain Baxley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 10 Nov. 2026

After playing at the Cardinals, the Rams will have what is essentially a mini-bye before playing the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium on the night before Thanksgiving. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

Boise State played at Notre Dame in 2025, losing 28-7 to the Fighting Irish. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Nov. 2026

Her short films have played at festivals including Tribeca, Slamdance, Chicago International Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival and Hollyshorts. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for play at

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