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
Gorst was playing at a tournament in Slovenia in February 2022 two days after Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
—
Jeremy Herb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
And the first round playoff games would take place on the campus of the higher-seeded team — so the Tigers would play at the Bulldogs, the Cavaliers at the Rebels, the Fighting Irish at the Cougars, and the Ducks at the Red Raiders.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
The film additionally won the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film at the 2025 Annecy Film Festival, and also played at the Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
The Packers have won six of their last nine against the Eagles in games played at Lambeau Field.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play at
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Jeremy Herb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
And the first round playoff games would take place on the campus of the higher-seeded team — so the Tigers would play at the Bulldogs, the Cavaliers at the Rebels, the Fighting Irish at the Cougars, and the Ducks at the Red Raiders.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
The film additionally won the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film at the 2025 Annecy Film Festival, and also played at the Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
The Packers have won six of their last nine against the Eagles in games played at Lambeau Field.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 Nov. 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 11 Nov. 2025.
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