1
as in recreated
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 performed
to present a portrayal or performance of
played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in mocked
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 lounged
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 handled
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
this is how we're going to play the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in put
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event
figuring that she had little to lose, she played her last few bucks on the state lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of played
There were rows of records, stacks of photos and the original Midnite Jamboree stage where legends like Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Garth Brooks once played.
—
Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
In the iconic film, Spacek — who stars in the new film Die, My Love — played the title character, a misfit high schooler.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Aaron Jones insinuated the Ravens’ defensive movement may have played a role.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Historians say that although Whites, especially northern Whites, played an important role in aiding escapees along the Underground Railroad, the effort was largely run by Black people, for Black people.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
The band played its final full concert in 1984.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
How often has Matthau played this character, the lovable slob?
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Godchaux joined the Dead in 1971 alongside her husband, Keith, who played keyboards.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
In the iconic film, Spacek — who stars in the new film Die, My Love — played the title character, a misfit high schooler.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Aaron Jones insinuated the Ravens’ defensive movement may have played a role.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Historians say that although Whites, especially northern Whites, played an important role in aiding escapees along the Underground Railroad, the effort was largely run by Black people, for Black people.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
The band played its final full concert in 1984.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
How often has Matthau played this character, the lovable slob?
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Godchaux joined the Dead in 1971 alongside her husband, Keith, who played keyboards.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played
Verb
-
In a series of high-pressure, high-temperature experiments designed to mimic the fiery beginnings of a young planet, scientists recreated the extreme environment where such worlds' molten rock and hydrogen gas interact.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The Heeler family home is recreated in uncanny detail—from Bandit’s armchair to the backyard barbecue—with interactive games (led by a cheeky garden gnome named Rhonda), music, and secret nooks that delight kids and grown-ups.—
Alli Forde,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Wearing a Tom Ford tuxedo, the prince posed on the green carpet alongside singers Mendes and Minogue, who both performed at his late mother Queen Elizabeth II's 92nd birthday London concert in 2018.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That was when the practice began of parents withholding food from children who performed badly on their pre-exams as an incentive to study harder.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In another photo obtained by TMZ, Matthews also mocked Perry’s headline-making photo of her kissing the ground following her return to Earth.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Elites stirred up a now familiar moral panic about commerce corrupting letters and mocked Grub Street even as its writers built the first modern freelance economy and mass-print culture.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In that pic, Fletcher lounged on the end, giving a thumbs up.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
-
As the action took place, the fashionable crowd lounged on the beautifully landscaped outdoor dining area, grazing on the pies and taking pictures of the sea.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Steelers are coming off a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, a team that handled the Chargers with relative ease, 38-24, in Week 7.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The interiors are handled with more finesse.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Johnson’s 55-yard TD run in the third quarter put MidAmerica Nazarene up 31-0.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Younger consumers are, as Veblen might put it, performing taste with efficiency.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Much of that extra time was spent setting the stage for the next performance, but there was plenty to keep guests entertained between takes.—
Patrick Gomez,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In between performances, while the crew was breaking down and setting up on stage, there was a lovely MC keeping the crowd entertained.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The first adaptation of author Mary Shelley's classic 1818 novel came in 1931, when Boris Karloff portrayed the monster in Frankenstein.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
On the big screen, Harford cared for Sandra Dee’s Rosalie Stocker in The Wild and the Innocent (1959) and portrayed the opportunistic older sister of Natalie Wood’s unstable title character in Inside Daisy Clover (1965), the melodrama directed by Robert Mulligan.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Played.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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