interplay
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of interplay
Explanation
Interplay is a kind of back-and-forth interaction in which each side affects the other. A beautiful piece of music has the perfect interplay between melody, rhythm, and harmony. You can think of interplay as if you're watching an actual play on a stage: the way two characters communicate, whether they're cooperating or clashing with each other, is a kind of interplay. This word is often used in a less concrete way, so you might hear a sociologist talk about the interplay between race and class or a film critic discuss the interplay between violence and comedy in a movie.
Vocabulary lists containing interplay
"Simplexity" by Jeffrey Kluger
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A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation
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"Why Read Shakespeare?" by Michael Mack
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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.
It leads to this interplay between the shadow docket and the merits docket.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026
More dynamic is the interplay between classical sculptures of warriors in motion and modern-day cuirasses.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
And a recent factor has been the interplay between Home Office attempts to clear the backlog of people awaiting asylum decisions, and Scotland's approach to homelessness.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
“Let Me Roll It” had a funky swagger, while “Getting Better” chugged with cheerful insistence; “I’ve Just Seen a Face” showed off the group’s crisp harmonies and “Lady Madonna” its tight rhythmic interplay.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
“The private sector,” said Wood, “the public sector. You know. There’s a lot of interplay these days.”
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
