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

The 18-year-old played at the U-17 World Cup in Doha a few months ago and recently for the U-20 national team. — Anabella González, CNN Money, 29 June 2026

The 33-year-old, playing at TPC River Highlands for the ninth time, was in a bunker 80 feet from the 13th hole after his second shot on the 526-yard par-5. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026

The last time Colombia played at Miami Stadium, the 2024 Copa América final against Argentina was delayed more than 75 minutes after a security breach involving ticketless fans, with some appearing to enter through air vents. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 June 2026

Freeman raced around the bases, scoring on a close play at the plate. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Rhymes for play at

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