play for
Idioms-
Take part for a particular reason, as in We're not playing for money, just for fun . A special usage of this idiom is play for laughs , that is, with the aim of arousing laughter.
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play someone for . Manage someone for one's own ends, make a fool of, dupe or cheat. For example, I resent your playing me for a fool , or He suddenly found out she'd been playing him for a sucker . This usage employs play in the sense of “exhaust a hooked fish,” that is, manage it on the line so that it exhausts itself. [Mid-1600s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That means searching online for banks far and wide that are making an aggressive play for customers, and reading the fine print on the contract.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026
At the All-Star Game, Trout might well hear Phillies fans beseech him to come play for the home team.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
“You play for your club, you’re representing a million people at most. When you’re representing your country, it’s 340 million people. I’m just very disappointed with how today went.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
Balogun, America’s top scorer at this World Cup, is now set to play for the U.S. in Monday’s round-of-16 match against Belgium after an unprecedented series of events that have rocked the soccer world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
He looked annoyed, and amazed that I didn’t know the language: “Well, learn it! It’s a fantastic book. He’ll play for a win against me, I’m sure, and I’m not playing for a draw.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
