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.
-
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.
Nisha quickly excelled at the game, rising to play for the Rajasthan state football team at the National Football Championship in 2024.
From BBC
Franks is working with Philip Barantini, who directed Adolescence, on a TV adaptation of the play for Netflix.
From BBC
Ahead of England's opening Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Sunday, Brook -- who will play for Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred this year -- was asked about the issue.
From Barron's
In baseball, we refer to the championship tournament as the “World Series,” though only American and Canadian teams play for the title.
From Salon
It means that the three front-row replacements -- which includes prop Rodrigue Neti -- all play for Toulouse.
From Barron's
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.
