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play politics

Idioms  
  1. Act for personal or political gain rather than principle, as in I don't think this judge is fair—he's playing politics. [Mid-1800s]


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.

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“We know what our job is,” Moriarity said, “it’s not to play politics, but to ensure a thorough investigation, seek justice and to be fair to all involved, and we are committed to doing that.”

From Salon Jan. 9, 2026

Their leader Jane Dodds said her deal to pass the Welsh government's budget last month showed she would not "play politics" with people's lives.

From BBC Apr. 4, 2025

“I do not want to look back and think we caused something or we missed something and someone got hurt. I don’t want to play politics with any of that.”

From Seattle Times Apr. 26, 2022

“I’m not going to try to play politics or point partisan fingers,” Gardner told reporters Wednesday.

From Washington Times Mar. 4, 2020

The only way to play politics, whatever you're for, is to learn the game first.

From In the Arena Stories of Political Life by Tarkington, Booth

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