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
Older brother Joshua, who played at Whitney Young, was his other dominant influence.
—
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
Something that should help is the fact that the Magic play at home the rest of December, including Sunday against the Knicks.
Orlando (17-10) had not only played the most games across the league (27) entering Friday’s slate but also the most on the road (17) through the first third of the season.
—Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
Escape to the Margaritaville state of mind at the Saint Somewhere Spa, taste world-class eateries, and play at the Fins Up Water Park.
—Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2024
Among quarterbacks who have played at least 20% of their teams’ dropbacks during that span, Herbert’s 1.3% rate of turnover-worthy plays is tied for fourth best, while his 22 big-time throws are tied for the most.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
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Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
Something that should help is the fact that the Magic play at home the rest of December, including Sunday against the Knicks.
Orlando (17-10) had not only played the most games across the league (27) entering Friday’s slate but also the most on the road (17) through the first third of the season.
—Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
Escape to the Margaritaville state of mind at the Saint Somewhere Spa, taste world-class eateries, and play at the Fins Up Water Park.
—Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2024
Among quarterbacks who have played at least 20% of their teams’ dropbacks during that span, Herbert’s 1.3% rate of turnover-worthy plays is tied for fourth best, while his 22 big-time throws are tied for the most.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 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 24 Dec. 2024.
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