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

“Tony doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and he won’t play along with the kind of thing where you hang out with the right industry people,” says Hues.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Meg eyes me, egging me to play along.

From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan