play the game

Idioms  

1. Behave according to accepted customs, obey the rules. For example, Not every foreign company can be counted on to play the game. The game here alludes to a sport with a set of rules. [Late 1800s] Also see play games.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

play the game

Losing two of the greatest to ever play the game just months apart will definitely leave a mark on international soccer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

Gamers buy licences to play the game -- licences that can be withdrawn.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

You can play the game or you can live vicariously.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

It was a passionate moment in an otherwise less colourful Parliamentary career, which a former UUP director of communications said was characterised by his knowledge of "how to play the game in Westminster".

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

He would play the game to its conclusion.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• acclimate
• accommodate
• accustom
• alter
• comply
• conform
• fit
• modify
• prepare
• readjust
• revise
• shape
• suit
• tailor