in play
Idioms-
In action or operation. For example, A number of conflicting forces were in play, so the outcome was uncertain . It is also put as bring into play , meaning “to put into action,” as in The surprise witness brought new evidence into play . [Mid-1600s]
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In sports, in a position to be legally or feasibly played, as in The ball is now in play . [Late 1700s]
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In business, in a position for a possible corporate takeover, as in After a news item said the company was in play, the price of its stock began to rise . [ Colloquial ; second half of 1900s]
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.
With support at 6500 broken, 6150 becomes the next level in play, writes Adam Turnquist, LPL Financial’s chief technical strategist.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
It also could put even higher oil and gas prices in play, as well as increased costs for fertilizer, transporting goods and many products based on petrochemicals.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
With potentially millions or even billions of agents in play, “businesses will not want to pay a per-agent fee, but rather pay based on the agent usage,” the analysts write.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
This was such a familiar nightmare for the Scots, their darkest fears in play, their rugby sanity at stake.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
Vervet monkeys cavorted as much as their larger cousins, and the babies of both species occasionally joined in play.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
