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

See Examples For:

play along

Let’s play along with the former for the sake of the cast, who are deeply committed, to their own peril.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The Alaska Supreme Court decided to play along last week, ruling that officials can’t bar “Decoy Dan” from the ballot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Ayinde, a Nigerian businesswoman with British citizenship, said she been encouraged by the west African country's security services to "play along" with those in government who were asking her for bribes.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

So my thought was, “OK, I’m going to play along with this.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

“But I can’t do this, guys. I thought I’d play along for a day or two, but this is ridiculous.”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro