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.
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
Levine told MarketWatch, “Not having access to cash, both real and play money, does make it harder to teach younger kids about money and management.”
From Slate • Jun. 26, 2019
The audience burned the play money; I burned my real money, all of it.
From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2017
"Thirty minutes after we bought the time, Scott simply sent over another $500,000 to cover our move. It was like play money to them."
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2014
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.
