play fair

Idioms and Phrases

Behave honestly and honorably, obey the rules, as in Not every supplier we deal with plays fair , or We can't just leave them to find their own way back—that's not playing fair . Although this idiom conjures up playing by the rules in some game or sport, it actually has been used in this figurative way since the mid-1400s. Also see play the game .

Example Sentences

The media doesn’t always play fair when it scents a scalp.

From BBC

Until we have a national fix, or a Supreme Court less determined to help Republicans win, we are stuck with a nationally gerrymandered map of blue and red states, with little incentive for either party to play fair.

From Salon

Until we have a national fix, or a Supreme Court that is less determined to help Republicans win elections, we are stuck with the mess that we have: A nationally gerrymandered map of blue and red states with little incentive for either party to play fair.

From Salon

They tend not to play fair, and “Good Girl’s Guide” is no exception.

From Los Angeles Times

And in the antitrust lawsuits that they filed against Apple last month, the Justice Department pointed back to complaints that company co-founder Steve Jobs had raised in 1998 against Microsoft’s “dirty tactics” while urging regulators to take steps to force the PC software maker “to play fair.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• manage