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
Game Studio is working on an action role-playing game that brings the fictional video game at the heart of the series to life.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
This hybrid live-action role-playing game and work of interactive theater enables guests to live out mini-Wild West adventures while interacting with more than two dozen actors.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
The deputy fire chief paid him $100 via Zelle to commit the assault, according to the affidavits, and told him the woman had agreed to the attack as part of a rape role-play fantasy.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2026
Clark forces Mary to engage in therapy role-play with him, but Mary refuses, admitting to him that his inability to recognize his own faults is the reason his wife left him.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for role-play
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Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
This hybrid live-action role-playing game and work of interactive theater enables guests to live out mini-Wild West adventures while interacting with more than two dozen actors.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
The deputy fire chief paid him $100 via Zelle to commit the assault, according to the affidavits, and told him the woman had agreed to the attack as part of a rape role-play fantasy.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2026
Clark forces Mary to engage in therapy role-play with him, but Mary refuses, admitting to him that his inability to recognize his own faults is the reason his wife left him.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 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 13 Jun. 2026.
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