variants
or less commonly roleplay
role-played also roleplayed; role-playing also roleplaying; role-plays also roleplays
1
: to act out the role of
2
: to represent in action
… students were asked to role-play the thoughts and feelings of each character …—
R. G. Lambert
R. G. Lambert
: to play a role
role-play
noun
or less commonly roleplay
plural role-plays also roleplays
I practice this with student social workers through case studies and role-play.
—Kevin Brazant, quoted in psychologytoday.com
Kevin Brazant, quoted in psychologytoday.com
Examples of role-play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the course of filming, the directors learned that Collins and Alspaw, the neighbors in Montana, were both Dungeon Masters in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
—Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
There are the typical role-playing video games, along with virtual tennis and dirt bike riding, but conspicuously absent are any winter sports.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
According to the nanny, Banfield feared his wife would file for divorce and set up a phony account on a fetish dating website under his wife’s name to catfish and lure Ryan, 39, to the house for a consensual but violent role-play scenario.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
This could even include being part of a role-play activity that is based on their favorite storyline, a nostalgic scene or even a fictional world.
—Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for role-play
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Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
There are the typical role-playing video games, along with virtual tennis and dirt bike riding, but conspicuously absent are any winter sports.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
According to the nanny, Banfield feared his wife would file for divorce and set up a phony account on a fetish dating website under his wife’s name to catfish and lure Ryan, 39, to the house for a consensual but violent role-play scenario.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
This could even include being part of a role-play activity that is based on their favorite storyline, a nostalgic scene or even a fictional world.
—Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for role-play
Cite this Entry
“Role-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/role-play. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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