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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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

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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 Only the two teams that make the championship game playing a sixth game, but the Heat is likely out of the mix for the championship game with two losses in Las Vegas. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 The excitement surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup has inspired many fans, from former players to beginners, to slide into a pair of shin guards and start playing the beautiful game. — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 14 July 2026 Daytime in the lush park (three hours south of Mexico City) is rich with bands playing psychedelic cumbia, Afrobeat, Latin fusion, and more, while out at night come DJs, local and imported — like this year’s Satoshi Tomiie. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 14 July 2026 Part of his charm here included playing the stalwart father figure to two terrified kids — someone a child could trust to stick around and keep watch all night when the dinosaurs came chomping. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026 The former Miami Heat guard is now playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 July 2026 Supporters weigh what's next Just one month ago, Alan Crichton was playing saxophone at Graham Platner's primary night victory party. — Tamara Keith, NPR, 14 July 2026 Olbrich credited a childhood spent playing volleyball with teaching him how to contest shots vertically without fouling, but defense is still an area of improvement for the young big man. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 That’s because he wasn’t supposed to be playing in the game at one point. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing

Verb

During scenes recreating protests, the boundary between fiction and reality collapsed.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 11 July 2026
On June 21, a man was also attacked after making contact with an alligator while recreating on Marion County’s Rainbow River, the FWC said.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026

Definition of recreating

Verb

Since February, its general-purpose robots have been performing production work at a Toyota manufacturing plant in North America, progressing from an initial pilot to active factory operations in less than two months.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
In her absence, Hannah Solow and Jackie Sanders have been performing in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln and Mary’s Chaperone, respectively.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 16 July 2026

Definition of performing

Verb

The latest comedic trend taking over social media involves people mocking Netflix-style documentaries with a specific prompt, usually tied to their trauma, niche inconveniences, major news events or unanswered questions in pop culture.

— Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 10 July 2026
The Belgian team’s official X account celebrated the team’s win with a pair of mocking posts.

— Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of mocking

Verb

For everyday wear, a linen short and linen shirt combo is the perfect set for lounging at home or running errands.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Getting the perfect shot of a lounging leopard seal or an emperor penguin posing in Antarctica is a photographer’s dream come true.

— Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026

Definition of lounging

Verb

By managing computing infrastructure for models, Fireworks does business in the inference cloud market, alongside startups such as Baseten and Together AI.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Weinberg says the confederation has evolved immensely since then, shifting from simply managing competitions to actively trying to help develop football in the region.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 16 July 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

The exhibition game comes during both teams’ regular-season schedules, putting both clubs in midseason form.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2026
The Giants drafted Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds in the third round of the amateur draft on Saturday, putting him with the same franchise where uncle Barry Bonds and grandfather Bobby Bonds both starred for years.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 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

Rossum continued portraying street-wise Chicago South Sider, Fiona Gallagher, through Season 9 before exiting the series.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 8 July 2026
The rebooted Netflix show addresses criticisms of Wilder’s work by giving diverse characters a larger role, a decision that prompted some to argue that the series would misrepresent the original books by portraying modern, progressive sensibilities.

— Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2026