1
as in recreates
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
2
as in performs
to present a portrayal or performance of
played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in mocks
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
4
as in idles
to spend time in aimless activity
just played around while we waited for the bus to arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in manipulates
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
this is how we're going to play the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in puts
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
1
as in dramas
a written work in which the story is told through speech and action that is intended to be acted out on stage
we'll be putting on a school play using that stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in uses
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose
the host's sense of humor was obviously in play during the awards ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
the guy at the bar made an unusually creative play to get her phone number
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of plays
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Myers’ maternal half-brother is Quentin Grimes, who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers and spent part of the 2024-25 season with the Mavericks.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Jones, who plays nose tackle in Baltimore, played 445 snaps against the pass and had five sacks.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Green Bay plays in the Horizon League Tournament against Northern Kentucky.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
The actor plays an American mortician caught in the middle of the conflict, trying to help a group of young women (including some prostitutes) escape the Japanese onslaught.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
Atkinson plays the titular role, a clueless man who lives alone, rarely speaks, and struggles to exist as a functional adult in the world.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Hannah Hidalgo, a 5-foot-6 junior guard from New Jersey, plays a big role in leading that charge.
—Maura Carey, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The late actor was nominated in the category alongside her co-star Kathryn Hahn, who plays foul-mouthed studio marketing executive Maya Mason in the Hollywood satire.
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
But Miami’s late lottery picks - Herro and Adebayo - made the decisive plays late.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Those areas, Close explained, include taking care of the ball, being efficient with passes and dribbles, having a passion and urgency to make hustle plays, and controlling the glass.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
Safety Kam Curl was one of the Rams’ top defensive players last season, a consistent tackler who made several game-turning plays.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Crawford has delivered a few highlight plays defensively, too.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Sip cocktails while live music plays, then settle in for a top-tier Southern dinner inspired by the setting.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Women’s History Month gets off to great start this year with a wide variety of plays, concerts and musicals starring women.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
He was fined for missing meetings and was benched for a few plays against the Las Vegas Raiders for missing the team bus to the game.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Stellan Skarsgård plays an aging filmmaker whose selfish past led to an estrangement from his daughters and who wants to make a movie inspired by their mom.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Myers’ maternal half-brother is Quentin Grimes, who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers and spent part of the 2024-25 season with the Mavericks.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Jones, who plays nose tackle in Baltimore, played 445 snaps against the pass and had five sacks.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Green Bay plays in the Horizon League Tournament against Northern Kentucky.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
The actor plays an American mortician caught in the middle of the conflict, trying to help a group of young women (including some prostitutes) escape the Japanese onslaught.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
Atkinson plays the titular role, a clueless man who lives alone, rarely speaks, and struggles to exist as a functional adult in the world.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Hannah Hidalgo, a 5-foot-6 junior guard from New Jersey, plays a big role in leading that charge.
—Maura Carey, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The late actor was nominated in the category alongside her co-star Kathryn Hahn, who plays foul-mouthed studio marketing executive Maya Mason in the Hollywood satire.
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
Conning off the bench, Harvey showed determination and grit with his hustle plays.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
But Miami’s late lottery picks - Herro and Adebayo - made the decisive plays late.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Those areas, Close explained, include taking care of the ball, being efficient with passes and dribbles, having a passion and urgency to make hustle plays, and controlling the glass.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
Safety Kam Curl was one of the Rams’ top defensive players last season, a consistent tackler who made several game-turning plays.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Crawford has delivered a few highlight plays defensively, too.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Sip cocktails while live music plays, then settle in for a top-tier Southern dinner inspired by the setting.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Women’s History Month gets off to great start this year with a wide variety of plays, concerts and musicals starring women.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
He was fined for missing meetings and was benched for a few plays against the Las Vegas Raiders for missing the team bus to the game.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays
Verb
-
The old-school charm inside the small restaurant recreates the feeling of dining in your grandmother’s kitchen, with bentwood chairs, mismatched dishes and big platters of rib-sticking dishes being passed around crowded tables.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In a studio in Accra, Perfectual Linnan, a fashion designer and founder of Roots by Linnan, recreates the fugu fabric into jackets, trousers and tops designed for everyday wear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
More accurately, Earth’s axis of rotation performs a wobbling motion like a spinning top, a phenomenon known as precession.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Already, in head-to-head diagnostic comparisons, generative AI performs at levels comparable to human clinicians.—
Robert Pearl,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Today, reality mocks the dream.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The worst thing Isabella does to Cathy is murder the doll version of her after Cathy mocks her feelings for Heathcliff.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.—
Madisen Keavy,
CBS News,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Just like Rodgers did a decade earlier, Prescott manipulates the flat defender (circled in red) and hits CeeDee Lamb in stride just behind the linebacker.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Throughout the process, the robot simultaneously navigates, avoids obstacles, and manipulates objects without human guidance.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Taylor Swift puts her whole tour on [sale], and stuff breaks.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Chock full of farmer's market greens, this casserole puts a fresh spin on creamy macaroni and cheese.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Like all good dramas, there must be an antagonist.—
Stephen Wilder,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The buoying provided by two seismically successful, fiercely independent dramas cannot be understated.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Natural products inspired by organisms include GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss, spider and snake venoms, and compounds from plants and fungi with potential uses in pain relief and cancer treatment.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The operation, on March 7 and 8 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, comes after two uses of anti-drone laser systems on the southern border prompted calls for Congressional investigations.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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