play at

Idioms

Do or take part in half-heartedly, as in She was just playing at keeping house, letting the others do all the work. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

play at

Such a dynamic has led stocks and rates to move in opposite directions in the past, and it’s come back into play at times again this year.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

I really want to play at the highest level of college football.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

As Koepka looks to iron out his game ahead of next year, he plans to play at least a couple of events in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

At the very least, Liverpool need to bring in at least one name that can play at centre-back and potentially at right-back, given Conor Bradley is still "way off" a return.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

“Give over. Let’s fill our bags and leave. You can play at the tavern.”

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023