definitions

play on words

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR play on words ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a pun or the act of punning.

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RELATED WORDS

pun, wordplay

Nearby words

play it safe, play money, play musical chairs, play off, play on, play on words, play one's cards close to one's chest, play one's cards right, play one's trump card, play out, play politics
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for play on words

play on words

noun

another term for pun 1 (def. 1)
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]

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