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

O’Connor and Brown are no slouches either; both are capable of starting and playing at a high level. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026

Van Pelt, 55, played at Pittsburgh and broke Dan Marino’s passing yards, attempts and completion records in college, was on the Browns staff from 2020 to 2023 with new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski. —D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC.com, 31 Jan. 2026

Now the Huskies play at Creighton, a game that history suggests should be hard. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026

The Giants also switched back and forth between Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka calling plays at various points. —Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for play at

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