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
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Lucas Trejo, who plays for Club Sport MarÃtimo La Guaira, had spent much of the last three days combing through rubble and looking for signs of his wife Yanina and their children Aarón and Ainhoa.
—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
On the other side of the party, Lestat plays phone tag with Gabs.
—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
Costa to the rescue once again in the 67th minute as Jhon Arias cuts inside from the right and plays it back wide to Santiago Arias.
—
Nbc News,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Vaccaro plays Bianca, a woman who helps Supergirl witch Selena with her malevolent plans.
—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
28 June 2026
Milly Alcock plays Supergirl, who travels through the cosmos with her trusty pup Krypto the Superdog.
—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 June 2026
Each team plays three other teams in their group once.
—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
28 June 2026
Because despite the tie with Egypt, who plays Australia in the Round of 32 on July 3 in Dallas, Iran still had a chance to advance.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
28 June 2026
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
These stout income plays are so valuable, in fact, that some activists are willing to go all the way to the Supreme Court to gain more influence over them.
—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Second baseman Michael Massey, for example, made two key plays in the second inning.
—
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
The 6-foot-11 Condon rebounds relentlessly, protects the rim, delivers uncanny passes and makes winning plays, none bigger than his hustle to secure Florida’s comeback victory against Houston in the 2025 national championship game.
—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2026
The glare from the west end of AT&T Stadium — renamed Dallas Stadium for the World Cup — has impacted plays during football games over the years, including at last November's Thanksgiving Day win over Kansas City.
—
CBS News,
26 June 2026
The Browns used a lot of pre-snap motion to set up misdirection plays and utilized a lot of bubble screens in the quick game in the spring, and those plays figure to be designed for players with skill sets like Concepcion and Corley have.
—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
Webb will call plays through the lens of a former NFL quarterback.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
20 June 2026
Shaw was also renowned as a writer of multiple novels, plays, and screenplays.
—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 June 2026
Verb
The midfielder who plays professionally at nearby Los Angeles FC coolly chested it down and blasted it off the bounce into the bottom corner of Ronwen Williams’ net before sprinting away to celebrate with Canada’s bench in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Lucas Trejo, who plays for Club Sport MarÃtimo La Guaira, had spent much of the last three days combing through rubble and looking for signs of his wife Yanina and their children Aarón and Ainhoa.
—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
On the other side of the party, Lestat plays phone tag with Gabs.
—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
Costa to the rescue once again in the 67th minute as Jhon Arias cuts inside from the right and plays it back wide to Santiago Arias.
—
Nbc News,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Vaccaro plays Bianca, a woman who helps Supergirl witch Selena with her malevolent plans.
—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
28 June 2026
Milly Alcock plays Supergirl, who travels through the cosmos with her trusty pup Krypto the Superdog.
—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 June 2026
Each team plays three other teams in their group once.
—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
28 June 2026
Because despite the tie with Egypt, who plays Australia in the Round of 32 on July 3 in Dallas, Iran still had a chance to advance.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
28 June 2026
Noun
There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
These stout income plays are so valuable, in fact, that some activists are willing to go all the way to the Supreme Court to gain more influence over them.
—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Second baseman Michael Massey, for example, made two key plays in the second inning.
—
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
The 6-foot-11 Condon rebounds relentlessly, protects the rim, delivers uncanny passes and makes winning plays, none bigger than his hustle to secure Florida’s comeback victory against Houston in the 2025 national championship game.
—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2026
The glare from the west end of AT&T Stadium — renamed Dallas Stadium for the World Cup — has impacted plays during football games over the years, including at last November's Thanksgiving Day win over Kansas City.
—
CBS News,
26 June 2026
The Browns used a lot of pre-snap motion to set up misdirection plays and utilized a lot of bubble screens in the quick game in the spring, and those plays figure to be designed for players with skill sets like Concepcion and Corley have.
—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
Webb will call plays through the lens of a former NFL quarterback.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
20 June 2026
Shaw was also renowned as a writer of multiple novels, plays, and screenplays.
—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays
Verb
-
Corden’s mum and dad are also in attendance for the show, and both take part in the final segment, which recreates a moment from the day’s events.
-
Both are drawn from Spanish auteurist designer Jaime Hayon’s arresting sense of design – a protagonist with a beak nose, shiny colors, an avoidance of sharp angles – which recreates over a century of Spanish design and architecture.
Verb
-
The printer then performs a self-check that includes vibration compensation, automatic bed leveling, and nozzle preparation.
-
Louis Tomlinson performs onstage at the 2026 Summerfest Music Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 26.
Verb
-
One of the moments in the musical that caused the most laughter and claps from the audience was the final song, which mocks the idea of using violence as a form of protest rather than joining a movement or focusing on policy.
-
The group openly mocks Jesus Christ and many Christian and Catholic traditions.
Verb
-
As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.
-
Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.
Verb
-
Okorie is the best driving guard in the class, a 6-1 jitterbug who manipulates defenders with a tight handle, sudden changes of speed, and an advanced feel for the game.
-
Facial massage manipulates big muscles in the face, such as the masseters, temporalis and platysma, as well as fascia.
Verb
-
Bond puts increase in value when bond prices fall and interest rates rise, allowing investors to offset losses elsewhere in their portfolios if borrowing costs jump unexpectedly.
-
That puts those Lawler-supporting Democrats in the unique position of helping choose his next opponent by voting in the June 23 primary.
Noun
-
Ocean Vashti Jude — A writer and director focused on dramas about rowdy characters, people on the downside of advantage, and the misadventures of having to work at life, Ocean is expanding into television directing.
-
In January, Mann entered a deal with Fox Entertainment to produce vertical dramas.
Noun
-
The most common uses of cloud seeding are to increase precipitation or suppress hail, usually by adding tiny particles of silver iodide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
-
Files, buffers, cuticle tools and even gel systems can last for months or years with proper care, which means the math tilts in favor of DIY after just a few uses.
Cite this Entry
“Plays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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