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

See Examples For:

play at

Previous to that excursion, the biggest trip I can remember making was driving 90 miles from Louisville to watch the Cincinnati Reds play at Crosley Field.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

“With a rate hike in play at next week’s Fed meeting, higher mortgage rates and more pressure on home sales are likely in the near-term,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Manchester United, who were attracted to Lewis-Skelly's ability to play at left-back, were interested but ultimately deemed his valuation too high.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Shohei Ohtani grounded out on a close play at first, moving Thomas to third.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Indeed it was seeing her in Shakespeare’s play at the Paris Odeon that detonated the infatuation in the first place.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall