play it safe

idiom

: to be careful and avoid risk or danger

I decided to play it safe and leave early so that I would be sure to arrive on time.

Examples of play it safe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clearly the fanbase appreciated Cameron acting as a chaos agent and mixing it up in a house full of players that often prefered to play it safe and steady. —EW.com, 10 Nov. 2023

Think of it as a dinner with the in-laws–play it safe (and avoid it if possible). —Ginny Hogan, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

Real or not, play it safe and remember to always eat your doughnuts while walking forward, not backward. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2024

People play it safe, looking for ways not to lose instead of playing to win. —Ricky Muddimer, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

And if it's held anything spoiled, too hard to hand-wash or likely to contain harmful bacteria, play it safe and throw it out. —Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024

Quite surprisingly for a Grammys carpet, many attendees decided to play it safe, but still, a select few weren't afraid to be bold. —Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024

So while part of me saying 'play it safe, don’t go there yet' there’s another part of me, a more authentic part of me that’s saying 'This is happening. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024

And in tandem with changes in interest rates and market volatility, inflation can create an environment of uncertainty, leading investors to play it safe. —Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023