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

Because only pitching seems to be aggravating the injury, Ohtani will continue to play at designated hitter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

For now, the dirt, which was seeded with grass to prevent runoff, isn’t interrupting play at East Potomac.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

They showed the sort of guts and desire we want to see from these teams that gained the opportunity to play at a World Cup because of the expanded format.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“It’s really nice, but this is the best,” Akanji said after Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina in group play at Sofi Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Sometimes, when Janie went to play at Ezra’s house, it bothered Bat that he wasn’t invited, and that there wasn’t a house he was invited to visit where Janie didn’t go.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold