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
Some folks might be feeling the pressure financially, while others just want to play it safe.
—
Lien De Pau, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
But Van Pelt also wants to see his rookie QB play it safe.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 Oct. 2024
The most memorable productions may have involved classics of one kind or another, but these works were reborn in stagings that refused to play it safe.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Take off into the looming darkness, relying primarily on the plane’s instruments, or play it safe and wait until the morning?
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play it safe 
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Lien De Pau, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
But Van Pelt also wants to see his rookie QB play it safe.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 Oct. 2024
The most memorable productions may have involved classics of one kind or another, but these works were reborn in stagings that refused to play it safe.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Take off into the looming darkness, relying primarily on the plane’s instruments, or play it safe and wait until the morning?
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play it safe
Dictionary Entries Near play it safe
Cite this Entry
“Play it safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20it%20safe. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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