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

It’s this exposé of societal absurdity and Meursault’s atheistic refusal to play along with pacifying notions of sin and redemption, that makes“The Stranger” a pinnacle of confrontational literature.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

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

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

When useful idiots play along, the hypocrisy is double: Perpetrators pretend to be humane, and apologists pretend to believe them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

For viewers who often complain that the faithful are useless at rooting out traitors, the twist will allow fans to play along and see whether they can do any better.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

I play along even though my heart’s not really in it.

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