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 Antetokounmpo totaled 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 shooting from the foul line, two rebounds, one assist and one steal while playing only 11 minutes in Saturday’s first half. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026 The practice involves writing down your intrusive thoughts and fears, and even recording yourself talking about them, and playing that recording back to yourself. — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 Then those games became public under the guise of charity exhibitions, and quite naturally, became the sort of exhibition game that just about every major college basketball team is playing this season. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 There are plenty of great matchups today, but one worth playing takes place early in the day as the 49ers take on the Falcons. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 And though no fault of Chesney’s, UCLA is playing a soft schedule. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Each has the perspective of attending East Side schools, playing football and returning to teach and coach at the high school. — Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 The main reason the Giants have a chance to win every week, though, despite all their injuries and heart-stopping endings, is that Jameis Winston is playing well as their starting quarterback. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing

Verb

That leaves open the distinction between recreating the behavior of an Atari 800XL through modern software and reproducing the original hardware more directly.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
Cameras on Zond 8 captured stunning views of the Earth and moon, recreating the iconic Earthrise views seen by Apollo 8 astronauts two years earlier in 1968.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of recreating

Verb

The share of Asian American students, who were clustered in more affluent, high-performing schools, subsequently fell.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Open-weight models would generally be exempt, but Beijing could still restrict transfers involving exceptionally large or top-performing models, potentially limiting overseas acquisitions or the movement of key personnel and intellectual property.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of performing

Verb

There were earlier versions of this story that were openly mocking of Kip, versions that threw Leo under the bus for being too sly; versions that were too overtly political; versions with ghosts that didn’t need to be there, and so on.

— Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Reels captured everything from dancing and DJ parties at protest sites to songs mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

— Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of mocking

Verb

Before the sexy spectacle began livestreaming, Bündchen appeared in a video, lounging on a couch in pink lingerie, the ocean behind her.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
At the stern, the line’s signature ocean lounge is fitted with fold-out terraces that open to create an expansive waterside area for lounging or watersports.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of lounging

Verb

By contrast, recent restrictions or delays suggest a greater emphasis on managing relations with Beijing and avoiding unnecessary escalation.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
My experience includes managing campaigns, leading teams, and building relationships with community leaders.

— Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

Matthieu Blazy did the same thing in reverse at Chanel, putting a pink lace shirt under a great slouchy tweed coat.

— Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Yoko said her daughter simply tried to prevent an agitated resident from biting others by putting her hand around the person’s chin.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 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

The younger Bolsonaro has denied climate change while portraying himself as an environmental defender, without detailing plans to protect the Amazon or support forest financing.

— Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, there are AI safety researchers who fear that portraying such incidents as easily remedied security failures gives political cover to those who want AI development to proceed unchecked.

— Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026