play hard to get

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

Larry Summers’s correspondence with Epstein showed that the former Treasury secretary and Harvard University president sought advice on how to play hard to get with a romantic interest.

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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.

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I really like foods that play hard to get.

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AP: So, you didn’t play hard to get!

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AP: So, you didn’t play hard to get!

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