play (a game of) cat and mouse
idiom
: to engage in behavior that is like the way a cat chases a mouse or plays with a mouse before killing it
—used especially to describe behavior in which someone says or does different things to deceive or control other people, to avoid being caught, etc.
The governor has been playing (a game of) cat and mouse with the media, refusing to say definitely whether he will run for reelection.
Examples of play (a game of) cat and mouse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That said, our favorite part of this presentation was when HBO released the new season trailer for House of the Dragon not long after Amazon dropped one for Lord of the Rings as the two fantasy dramas continue to play a game of cat and mouse.
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Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Streaming providers constantly play cat and mouse with VPN servers that attempt to get around their geoblocking, but NordVPN is one of the best at circumvention.
—Jon Martindale, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021
Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Streaming providers constantly play cat and mouse with VPN servers that attempt to get around their geoblocking, but NordVPN is one of the best at circumvention.
—Jon Martindale, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play (a game of) cat and mouse.' 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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“Play (a game of) cat and mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20%28a%20game%20of%29%20cat%20and%20mouse. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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