well-played

British

adjective

(of a piece of music, game, etc) skilfully or pleasingly executed

"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

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.

And this is why Rapaport is such a well-played torment.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

“That was a well-played, hard-fought slugfest,” Venables said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Another well-played sequence 10 minutes later saw Walker Zimmerman head a cross back into the middle of the box for Miles Robinson, but Robinson sent his left-footed shot well wide of the right post.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2024

Alabama: The Tide will go three straight seasons without a national title for the first time in Saban’s tenure, but there’s no reason to be embarrassed about this well-played game against an elite opponent.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2024

"Ah! madame, I have your bill, too," he said, looking at her with well-played simplicity.

From Catherine De Medici by Wormeley, Katharine Prescott

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