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Synonyms

play it safe

Idioms  

  1. Also, play safe. Avoid extreme risks, as in I played it safe and bet only a dollar, or Let's play safe and get a backup in case the announced speaker gets sick. [c. 1900]

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.

The German outfit have decided not to play it safe in their first campaign and have designed and built an in-house power unit.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

I don’t think of someone who likes to play it safe.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

They can play it safe and schedule easy and back right in.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

But does the same thing apply to the customers who prefer to play it safe, those fixed-income investors?

From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025

I'm grateful to this mystery girl for helping Tess out, but with my money on the line, I decide to play it safe.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

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.