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play on words

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noun
  1. a pun or the act of punning.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for play on words

play on words

noun
  1. another term for pun 1 (def. 1)
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with play on words

play on words

A word or turn of phrase with a double meaning, a pun or other humorous use of language. For example, Shakespeare was a master at plays on words—his dramas are full of puns. [First half of 1700s]

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.