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play on words

SEE SYNONYMS FOR play on words

noun

a pun or the act of punning.

QUIZZES

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Question 1 of 9
You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
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Words nearby play on words

play-off, play on, play one's cards close to one's chest, play one's cards right, play one's trump card, play on words, play out, playpen, play politics, play possum, playreader
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to play on words

double entendre, pun, equivocalness, bon mot, jeu de mots, wordplay

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.