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

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

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

“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

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

I will play along with Happy Best Friend Face because it’s Dylan.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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