- participate in games or sport;
"We played hockey all afternoon"
"play cards"
"Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
- act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome;
"This factor played only a minor part in his decision"
"This development played into her hands"
"I played no role in your dismissal"
- play on an instrument;
"The band played all night long"
- play a role or part;
"Gielgud played Hamlet"
"She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"
"She played the servant to her husband's master"
- be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children;
"The kids were playing outside all day"
"I used to play with trucks as a little girl"
- replay (as a melody);
"Play it again, Sam"
"She played the third movement very beautifully"
- perform music on (a musical instrument);
"He plays the flute"
"Can you play on this old recorder?"
- pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind;
"He acted the idiot"
"She plays deaf when the news are bad"
- move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly;
"The spotlights played on the politicians"
- bet or wager (money);
"He played $20 on the new horse"
"She plays the races"
- engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion;
"On weekends I play"
"The students all recreate alike"
- pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity;
"Let's play like I am mommy"
"Play cowboy and Indians"
- emit recorded sound;
"The tape was playing for hours"
"the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"
- perform on a certain location;
"The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"
"She has been playing on Broadway for years"
- put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game;
"He is playing his cards close to his chest"
"The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory"
- engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously;
"They played games on their opponents"
"play the stock market"
"play with her feelings"
"toy with an idea"
- behave in a certain way;
"play safe"
"play it safe"
"play fair"
- cause to emit recorded audio or video;
"They ran the tapes over and over again"
"I'll play you my favorite record"
"He never tires of playing that video"
- manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination;
"She played nervously with her wedding ring"
"Don't fiddle with the screws"
"He played with the idea of running for the Senate"
- use to one's advantage;
"She plays on her clients' emotions"
- consider not very seriously;
"He is trifling with her"
"She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
- be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way;
"This speech didn't play well with the American public"
"His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee"
- behave carelessly or indifferently;
"Play about with a young girl's affection"
- cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space;
"The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
- perform on a stage or theater;
"She acts in this play"
"He acted in `Julius Caesar'"
"I played in `A Christmas Carol'"
- be performed or presented for public viewing;
"What's playing in the local movie theater?"
"`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years"
- cause to happen or to occur as a consequence;
"I cannot work a miracle"
"wreak havoc"
"bring comments"
"play a joke"
"The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"
- discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream;
"play water from a hose"
"The fountains played all day"
- make bets;
"Play the races"
"play the casinos in Trouville"
- stake on the outcome of an issue;
"I bet $100 on that new horse"
"She played all her money on the dark horse"
- shoot or hit in a particular manner;
"She played a good backhand last night"
- use or move;
"I had to play my queen"
- employ in a game or in a specific position;
"They played him on first base"
- contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
"Princeton plays Yale this weekend"
"Charlie likes to play Mary"
- exhaust by allowing to pull on the line;
"play a hooked fish"