play along
Britishverb
-
to cooperate (with), esp as a temporary measure
-
(tr) to manipulate as if in a game, esp for one's own advantage
he played the widow along until she gave him her money
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.
Yet, in a rare and long-overdue display of institutional solidarity, the rest of the press corps refused to play along.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
And when people play along, they’ll start paying closer attention to the daily transactions, as they’re happening in the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“I think that some of the hemisphere is willing to play along with it because the hemisphere has issues, including security issues, where the U.S. can be of assistance,” Bosworth said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
On social media, the Scottish FA did its best to bring an element of drama to it, but Clarke was never going to play along with that.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
“Just between you and me,” Robert whispered in Jack’s ear, “I know you’re lying. Still, I’ll play along and back up your story. That way I get the princess, and no one argues.”
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
