1
as in to recreate
to engage in activity for amusement
told her son that he needed some time to run and play in the yard after his hard work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to perform
to present a portrayal or performance of
played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to pose (as)
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior
stop playing the innocent, because I know that you were behind that prank
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to lounge
to spend time in aimless activity
just played around while we waited for the bus to arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to manipulate
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
this is how we're going to play the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in relaxation
activity engaged in to amuse oneself
it's such a delight to watch the children in their play
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drama
a written work in which the story is told through speech and action that is intended to be acted out on stage
we'll be putting on a school play using that stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in game
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously
I didn't mean to insult anyone, for it was all just play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in use
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose
the host's sense of humor was obviously in play during the awards ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
the guy at the bar made an unusually creative play to get her phone number
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
the candidate played on the voters' prejudices
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as in to exploit
to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means
played upon the customer's vanity to convince her to buy the expensive makeup kit
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as in to toy (with)
to handle thoughtlessly, ignorantly, or mischievously
please don't play with the telephone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of play
Jim Reineking, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
How Nvidia plays export whack-a-mole Culture champion.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2025
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 May 2025
Salovey, who is directing the play this year, works with Producing Director Becca Myers, Sarah Price-Keating and longtime La Jollan Ali Viterbi to interview women, craft original monologues based on their stories and bring in professional actresses to portray them.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for play
Verb
Vick had a career-high 540 yards rushing in 1988 and played only four NFL seasons.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
How Nvidia plays export whack-a-mole Culture champion.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
Tannahill’s plays include Late Company and Botticelli in the Fire.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 May 2025
Salovey, who is directing the play this year, works with Producing Director Becca Myers, Sarah Price-Keating and longtime La Jollan Ali Viterbi to interview women, craft original monologues based on their stories and bring in professional actresses to portray them.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play
Noun
-
Now lazy-river fans know the No. 1 place to experience relaxation on the water: Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2025
-
There’s plenty at Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán besides the spa to aid in your relaxation.—
Johanna Read,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
For the faithful gathered here, of course, the sideshow drama was not the point.—
Katie Primm,
NBC news,
9 May 2025
-
Her credits include Lars von Trier’s Antichrist, Margarethe von Trotta’s Hannah Arendt and the upcoming LGBTQ+ period drama Miss Pirie and Miss Woods, starring Flora Nicholson and Fiona Shaw.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Goaltender Logan Thompson had a solid game, stopping 31 of 33 shots, but ultimately took the 2-1 loss in overtime.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
And though the Royals came an eyelash away from their sixth shutout in 12 games — Estevez allowing a ninth-inning run spoiled that — the home dugout will remain plenty happy with this result.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
The Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy, including the use of jamming devices.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
-
Adjust Horizontally Misaligned Cabinet Door During installation or even after years of regular use, cabinet doors might slide too far to one side or the other.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Vulture Parent Puppet The puppet ruse is designed to prevent the baby from imprinting on humans.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Those ruses have spurred restrictive voting laws across the country, despite the failure over the years of anybody finding fraud happening beyond small and rare instances — and certainly not at the scale of deciding major elections.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Add a new pattern to mom’s collection with this fun number, done up with shades of blues, pinks, and greens.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 May 2025
-
Though fun is a funny word to use considering Thunderbolts is all about depressed anti-heroes looking for a sense of purpose.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
No list of musicals is complete without a rock opera.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
7 May 2025
-
Rice achieved this elite entertainment grand slam through his work on everything from Broadway musicals to Disney blockbusters.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
Those scholars stress athletes’ race when looking at participation rates in the two sports that generate the most revenue: football and men’s basketball.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 May 2025
-
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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