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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in performing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in lounging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in managing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Rumors have circulated that Stan may be playing Harvey Dent, the district attorney who eventually becomes the villainous Two-Face and was previously portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, Tommy Lee Jones, and Billy Dee Williams. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 Trout, whose Angels tenure has included seven managers and five heads of baseball operations, will now be playing under a new owner for the first time. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 The actor has performed with his band, Dennis Quaid and the Sharks, for decades, playing guitar and singing at shows around the country. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 If a camera spots an anomaly — the wrong gasket installed on an oven, for example — the system will shut that part of the line down and start playing loud music. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Leaders of prominent Jewish organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League, came to Paramount’s defense, blasting the Emmy-winning actor known for playing the Hulk and roles in productions for HBO. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Then there’s the endless rotation of celebrities playing themselves. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 If your dog has any dental issues, playing any type of pulling game is not advisable. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing

Verb

Marie Claire describes the trend as deliberately recreating dark circles and other signs of tiredness that makeup has traditionally been used to hide.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
The new video has nearly two million views and also dovetails with a recent TikTok trend of people recreating the original.

— Katie Bain, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of recreating

Verb

Prior to touching down in Canada, Perry had been performing Down Under for an extended run.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
For about 25 years, Morgan, 60, chipped away at success, performing consistently in comedy clubs, corporate events and fundraisers while raising three children.

— Erin Jensen, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of performing

Verb

Former Ferrari president and chairman Luca di Montezemolo joined analysts and investors in mocking the model as ugly and decidedly un-Ferrari-like at a time where other luxury automakers were scaling back their own EV efforts amid low demand.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Thousands of comments flooded the post mocking the department for spending its time on such a trivial matter.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mocking

Verb

While hardier, wipeable furniture certainly has its time and place (say, messy craft sessions and sticky snack times), something a little more plush lends itself well to lounging around, reading breaks, and more relaxed forms of play.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 31 Aug. 2026
Right outside the building are multiple firepits (one for lounging, one for roasting s’mores), lawn games, and even a small wooden playground with swings and climbing structures.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of lounging

Verb

Investors are also betting on a future DeepSeek listing in the mainland, said Wayne Shiong, managing partner at Argo Venture Partners, as the startup risks an exodus of senior engineers without financial incentives to stay.

— Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
In addition to managing facilities, his other priorities include enacting policies or resources to ensure students are successful beyond graduation and focusing on student mental health and well-being.

— Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

Mars challenges restrictive Saturn, putting your desire to take a chance against someone else’s need for reassurance.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
The CameraJet came out on top on every metric—but the comparison seems a bit like putting a mortar and pestle up against a VitaMix.

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 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

That more or less happened this week, with dozens of Fox News segments about Piker, portraying him as a left-wing kingmaker and the id of the socialist movement.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Fallout continued Thursday for content creator and apparel brand Good Good Golf over an ad that was supposed to promote a new Callaway driver but ended up being criticized for portraying violence against women.

— Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026