play at
phrasal verb
played at; playing at; plays at
1
: to do (something) in a way that is not serious
They were only playing at trying to fix the problem.
2
chiefly British
: to play by pretending to be (someone or something)
She liked to play at doctors and nurses as a child.
—often used in the phrase play at being (something)boys playing at being soldiers
3
British
—used to say in an annoyed way that one does not know the reason for someone's behavior
What is he playing at?
Examples of play at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Post Malone will play at Hard Rock Stadium on June 8, 2025, part of his Big Ass Tour.
—
Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Broomfield played at both Clemson and UCLA, and was playing professionally when COVID hit.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 19 Nov. 2024
Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles has played at a high level.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2024
Yorba Linda plays at Newbury Park in the semifinals Friday.
—Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play at 
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.
Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Broomfield played at both Clemson and UCLA, and was playing professionally when COVID hit.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 19 Nov. 2024
Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles has played at a high level.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2024
Yorba Linda plays at Newbury Park in the semifinals Friday.
—Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play at
Dictionary Entries Near play at
Cite this Entry
“Play at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20at. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share