PLAYING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

playing

verb

present participle of play

as in recreating

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in performing

to present a portrayal or performance of played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic

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as in mocking

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

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as in lounging

to spend time in aimless activity just played around while we waited for the bus to arrive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in managing

to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently this is how we're going to play the situation

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as in putting

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of playing But camp is about more than just a wide receiver playing well. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Carys made her professional stage debut in June, playing Nina in Anton Chekhov’s tragicomedy The Seagull in Brooklyn. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026 Segers, who is best known for playing Mason Makoola in the Disney XD series Pair of Kings, regularly posted controversial opinions about the LGBTQ+ community and women’s rights. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026 Alice now began playing and recording her own compositions with a handful of open-minded players and eventually racked up twelve nonpareil albums. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 In some markets, TV Plus begins playing automatically when a Samsung set is switched on, and the service does not appear in Nielsen's The Gauge. — Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing

Verb

Director Josh Greenbaum revealed during the panel that recreating Lord Dark Helmet’s signature look required plenty of attention to detail — right down to Moranis’ eyewear.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
If adopting that model requires rebuilding those workflows, recreating evaluation frameworks and rediscovering years of operational learning, the cost of switching extends far beyond changing an API.

— Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of recreating

Verb

For a guy used to the warmth of an arena crowd, Pragiwaksono romanticizes open mics, those awkward showcases of aspiring comics performing largely in front of other aspiring comics.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026
Outside, there will be giveaways, inflatables, DJs and local mascots and cheerleaders performing.

— Elizabeth Green, AJC.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of performing

Verb

On the scale of poking the bear, mocking Buc-ees in defense of other regional convenience store chains is low risk.

— Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
In response to angry, sometimes mocking, questions from Republican senators, Fauci declined to answer more than 100 times, injecting new drama into partisan divides that have festered for years about the origins and handling of the pandemic.

— Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Definition of mocking

Verb

The beach was packed, many vacationers lounging near the turquoise waters when the drone slammed into the white sand and burst into a fireball.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026
The 59-year-old actress posed topless while lounging by the pool during her Fiji Islands getaway with Van Hunt.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of lounging

Verb

The traveler is left managing multiple confirmations, while employees may lack a complete picture of the guest’s plans.

— Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
While none of Zero100′s clients had come under attack in the strait, O’Marah said some had decided to avoid that risk by actively managing inventories and rerouting shipments.

— Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 July 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

Amazon shares gained 4% and hit a new all-time high on Monday, putting its market cap over the $3 trillion threshold for the first time following a better-than-expected earnings report last week.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
But goals like putting data centers in space would take multiple years, if not decades, to accomplish.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of putting

Verb

The formula is one of those shampoos formulated for a really great wash—delivering moisture and smoothing without toying too far into volumizing, densifying, or hair growth.

— Ellie Davis, Vogue, 25 June 2026
The age-gap romance is one that Statsky said the writers have been toying around with for quite some time.

— Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of toying

Verb

Arnault accused the newspaper—which is largely owned by the partner of Arnault’s daughter—of portraying other wealthy families in a more favorable light.

— Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
In these quick watches, creators must provide the most entertaining segments of a debate, usually portraying clips of jarring language and rhetoric.

— Vriti Shah, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026