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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Relevance

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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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 Fellow City Section member Sylmar (24-12) is playing San Marin (21-13) for the Division V title at noon. —

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026 Prior to the start of the current conflict, the IRGC was one of the most powerful organizations in the country, playing a dominant role in both internal domestic security and regional power projection. —

Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 11 Mar. 2026 Soon, Kenna has moved into a shitty apartment complex (ironically called Paradise), found a job at a local market, and even made some friends (including young Monika Myers as both neighbor and coworker, and country music star Lainey Wilson, not playing herself in the film). —

Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026 After playing right tackle during the 2024 season, Parham was moved to left guard last season. —

Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026 Spending his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2020 through 2023 as an undrafted player and playing two games for the Rams earlier in 2025, Green has appeared in 39 career games with two starts in five seasons. —

David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026 In playing all 17 games, Howell threw for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and a league-leading 21 interceptions. —

Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 2026 By July that year, Kelly, this time playing for England, famously scored that penalty against Spain in the Euros final, securing the Lionesses their second Euros title in a row. —

Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026 Ngala, a 5-10 guard from Montreal, Quebec in Canada, has scored 16 total points while playing 35 minutes in 10 games. —

Gary Bedore march 4, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing

Verb

The routines gaining traction right now aren’t choreographed for TikTok — but fans are recreating them on the app anyway.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
How to Make Crab Rangoon Garlic Bread The dish itself is actually pretty simple to make and saves you a lot of labor when compared to recreating a traditional crab rangoon at home.

— Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2026