play at
phrasal verb
played at; playing at; plays at
1
: to do (something) in a way that is not serious
They were only playing at trying to fix the problem.
2
chiefly British
: to play by pretending to be (someone or something)
She liked to play at doctors and nurses as a child.
—often used in the phrase play at being (something)boys playing at being soldiers
3
British
—used to say in an annoyed way that one does not know the reason for someone's behavior
What is he playing at?
Examples of play at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The screenings are expected to play at approximately 1,000 theaters across North America, according to Variety.
—
Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2024
How to watch and listen to Rams vs. Saints
The Rams and Saints will play at 1:05 p.m. PST on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
England is the reigning World Cup runner-up, so the matchup against the USWNT will be hotly contested and played at a high level on Saturday when the two international soccer giants meet.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024
But while Alex Tuch is playing at near a point-per-game pace, his linemates have been snakebit the last few games.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play at 
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Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2024
How to watch and listen to Rams vs. Saints
The Rams and Saints will play at 1:05 p.m. PST on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
England is the reigning World Cup runner-up, so the matchup against the USWNT will be hotly contested and played at a high level on Saturday when the two international soccer giants meet.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024
But while Alex Tuch is playing at near a point-per-game pace, his linemates have been snakebit the last few games.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play at
Dictionary Entries Near play at
Cite this Entry
“Play at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20at. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
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