make a play for

idiom

1
: to try to get (someone or something)
She made a play for the job, but she didn't get it.
2
: to try to start a romantic or sexual relationship with (someone)
He made a play for her.

Examples of make a play for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company resolved to accelerate the adoption of preferred materials and make a play for 100 percent by 2025, to scale its Fair Trade program, to promote living wages across its supply chain and to address issues with chemistry. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 Kansas City will also likely make a play for a receiver ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline. Vincent Frank, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 There had been speculation that Biles might make a play for the 2024 Games as a single-event specialist on the vault, in honor of her coaches, the French couple Laurent Landi and Cécile Canqueteau-Landi. Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2024 Indeed, even as deaths from COVID-19 mounted and the economy slid deeper into recession, many of Bolsonaro’s supporters were urging him to make a play for even greater power. Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2020 See all Example Sentences for make a play for 

Dictionary Entries Near make a play for

Cite this Entry

“Make a play for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20play%20for. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!