play fair

Idioms

Behave honestly and honorably, obey the rules, as in Not every supplier we deal with plays fair, or We can't just leave them to find their own way back—that's not playing fair. Although this idiom conjures up playing by the rules in some game or sport, it actually has been used in this figurative way since the mid-1400s. Also see play the game.

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.

play fair

In America, there’s a sense that too much success in business is a bad thing, and that everyone needs to play fair.

From Barron's ● May 2, 2026

Can McLaren continue to play fair and stop Verstappen?

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025

“Things like that just don’t play fair in our mind.”

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

The Justice Department serves them all, and its credibility rests on being perceived to play fair.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2023

They must play fair with one another; there’s not enough to cheat with.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023