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
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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
EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
That was nice to play and just to be in in touch with that.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
In was Paul Maurice who implemented a defense-first, forecheck-heavy, grind-it-out style of play that was almost the antithesis of their free-flowing, high-flying, offensive system that was wildly successful in the regular season but didn’t hold up in the playoffs.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play
Verb
But there was just something about playing the comedy of that scene, which is such a shocking moment.
—EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
That was nice to play and just to be in in touch with that.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
Perhaps the assumption is that two teams who are both as consistent as each other and opt to employ a high-octane style of play will cancel each other out.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
In was Paul Maurice who implemented a defense-first, forecheck-heavy, grind-it-out style of play that was almost the antithesis of their free-flowing, high-flying, offensive system that was wildly successful in the regular season but didn’t hold up in the playoffs.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play
Noun
-
There's a mix of on-the-beach relaxation (pet-friendly!) and off-the-beach amusements, such as go-kart tracks, a handful of mini-golf courses, a number of ice cream shops, and good restaurants.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Each packet of Off Duty contains a gentle dose (5mg THC + 5mg CBD), ensuring a soothing state of calm and relaxation.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Take a breath everyone, the Avs and Stars have more drama for us over the coming week.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
-
There also appears to be some friction at this time, potentially some drama in regard to your love life and friendships.—
Kyle Thomas,
People.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Heat came up short in the first two games of the first-round Eastern Conference series.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
During his five years at TCU, Williams played in 52 games, caught 137 passes for 1,655 yards (12.1) and had 14 touchdowns.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Which is where the use of passphrases enters the equation.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
While the Army and Navy hope to soon deploy the first US hypersonic missile for use in combat, the military continues pursuing more advanced hypersonic technology.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Richie buys Harry's ruse regarding Tommy's murder, but there's a catch.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
The wedding started as an elaborate three-way ruse concocted by Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese American man; his white boyfriend, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein); and Wei-Wei, an undocumented Chinese immigrant.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While there’s no doubt the videos feature cute little ones and are intended just for laughs, mental health professionals say what some parents view as harmless fun may actually be affecting children in unplanned ways.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
23 Apr. 2025
-
In a video shared by A Dog's Hideaway, another golden called Butters was equally sleepy after hours of fun at day care.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Stephen Sondheim might have enjoyed the challenge of creating a musical from such an outlandish premise.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Apr. 2025
-
There’s probably a lot of coffee, as well as a starry-eyed love of stage performance, especially classic musicals and dance.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
For every person who happily sets 4:00 a.m. alarms on race morning, there’s another convinced the sport is too hard, too boring, or a waste of time, if not outright harmful.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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