play hard to get

Idioms  

1. Pretend to be inaccessible or uninterested; act coy, especially with the opposite sex. For example, I know he has no appointments tomorrow; he's just playing hard to get, or Nicole is very popular, perhaps because she plays hard to get. [Mid-1900s]

---

Example Sentences

Overall, he wasn't very into women who play hard to get, which is good because Swift flew to Kansas City to spend four hours sitting with his mom, cleaning up in their private suite and cheering for Kelce when he scored a touchdown.

From Salon

I really like foods that play hard to get.

From New York Times

AP: So, you didn’t play hard to get!

From Seattle Times

AP: So, you didn’t play hard to get!

From Washington Times

It seemed as though I should play hard to get, but after a moment or two of awkward silence, I agreed to do it for what I called "political reasons."

From Literature