play along

British  

verb

1. to cooperate (with), esp as a temporary measure

2. (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

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play along Idioms  

1. Cooperate or pretend to cooperate, as in They decided to play along with the robbers, at least for a while. [Colloquial; 1920s]

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Example Sentences

So far, it has paid for investors to play along.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

There was a time when it seemed as though United were prepared to play along with the gag.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Michelle gamely tries to play along, pretending she’s an alien.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

The Trojans are 5-1 in a new era where even two-loss teams can qualify and, OK, just play along here for a sec.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025

He runs the video again, and we sit holding our basses, disconnected from the amps, just trying to play along.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon