play fast and loose

idiom

: to behave in a clever and dishonest way

—usually + with

He was accused of playing fast and loose with the truth.

reporters playing fast and loose with the facts

Examples of play fast and loose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Little accountability for mistakes means that business owners tend to play fast and loose with safety, as evidenced by China’s grisly history of industrial accidents. —Bill Drexel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2023

Private bill For Americans sick of watching companies play fast and loose with their personal data, relief could be on the way. —Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

Whereas responsible token exchanges provide useful services, such as custody, staking, and market liquidity, reckless ones encourage bad behavior and play fast and loose with people’s money. —Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024

Doing so would expose him to prosecutors who won't pull punches in their effort not only to convict him but also to use him as an example of what can happen when people in the crypto world play fast and loose with the law. —Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2023

Mammals, on the other hand, rely on many complex structures and can’t afford to play fast and loose with their cellular structures. —Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2023

The makers of House of Gucci were sufficiently persuaded to play fast and loose with facts when dressing Lady Gaga’s Patrizia Reggiani for her wedding in the film. —Kerry McDermott, Glamour, 25 June 2023

There is evidence these companies play fast and loose with privacy. —Washington Post, 4 May 2022

Markert’s sandwiches may play fast and loose with their inspirations, but the chef clearly has respect for the classics, even if his creations test your ability to pick them up with two hands. —Tim Carman, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023