play money
Americannoun
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paper that is cut and printed to resemble paper money, often used in playing board games.
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Informal. worthless or counterfeit currency.
The bankrupt government was putting play money in circulation.
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.
There may be a baser motive at play: money.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
Then 60,000 ordinary people tried with play money and did even worse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
He advises that investors consider these ETFs only for play money they are prepared to lose, just like at a casino.
From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025
With two hours to go before the first pitch, staff members in the stadium kitchen were wrapping hot dogs in foil and randomly inserting play money into some.
From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2021
And I made mint at my summer job and it gave me play money for the year.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
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.
