play (it) smart
idiom
: to make good decisions
If you play (it) smart, you should be able to graduate in four years.
Examples of play (it) smart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Bruins, now 12-0 with three wins over top-20 teams, play smart and savvy basketball, period.
—
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023
The Texas Tech offense -- especially quarterback Donovan Smith -- will need to play smart against one of college football’s best defenses.
—Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2022
Learning to avoid foul trouble has also been a process, balancing when to be aggressive defensively and when to play it smart and avoid the risk of picking up a foul that would take her off the floor.
—Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
Even if the Cowboys and Chargers don’t emerge with coaching vacancies entering the offseason, Payton should play it smart and avoid the Broncos coaching job at all costs.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022
Campbell said his coaching staff wanted to play it smart with Decker to keep him healthy.
—Chandler Engelbrecht, Detroit Free Press, 2 Aug. 2022
What Rush does is play smart and within the system.
—David Moore, Dallas News, 17 Mar. 2023
With crummy weather leading the field until Sunday, the best that the best in the world could do was hunker down and play smart.
—Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2022
Grant your little one’s wish with a realistic play smart phone from VTech.
—Lindsey Hunter Lopez, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2020
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023
The Texas Tech offense -- especially quarterback Donovan Smith -- will need to play smart against one of college football’s best defenses.
—Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2022
Learning to avoid foul trouble has also been a process, balancing when to be aggressive defensively and when to play it smart and avoid the risk of picking up a foul that would take her off the floor.
—Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
Even if the Cowboys and Chargers don’t emerge with coaching vacancies entering the offseason, Payton should play it smart and avoid the Broncos coaching job at all costs.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022
Campbell said his coaching staff wanted to play it smart with Decker to keep him healthy.
—Chandler Engelbrecht, Detroit Free Press, 2 Aug. 2022
What Rush does is play smart and within the system.
—David Moore, Dallas News, 17 Mar. 2023
With crummy weather leading the field until Sunday, the best that the best in the world could do was hunker down and play smart.
—Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2022
Grant your little one’s wish with a realistic play smart phone from VTech.
—Lindsey Hunter Lopez, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play (it) smart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Play (it) smart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20%28it%29%20smart. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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