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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.

See Examples For:

"Samsung has to defend the category it created, and that's why it cannot play it safe," he added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

The easy thing then would have been to play it safe and hire a big name from the glittering ranks of unemployed managers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

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

Some of us play it safe, some of us swing for the fences.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2025

I decide to play it safe and say I forgot.

From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

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