play at

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

SoFi Stadium will host the Super Bowl next February, and the Battle For Los Angeles in Week 8 when the Chargers play at the Rams, a rare meaningful matchup of the crosstown foes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

McIlroy chased down Scheffler to win the 2022 Tour Championship, while Scheffler edged out McIlroy during singles play at last year’s Ryder Cup.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Packer went on to play at the tournament but remained on the fringes and did not feature in any of the knockout games as England claimed glory.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Based on both individual play and contributions to his teams, LeBron’s entire body of work is unmatched and LeBron’s play at age 41 is still magnificent.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

I pretended I was holding a bugle and started playing that “Day Is Done . . .” song that they play at funerals.

From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis