at play
idiom
1
: in the act of playing
the sounds of children at play
2
: being something that helps produce or influence a result
Several issues are at play in determining the price of gasoline.
Examples of at play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers discovered that reduced threat perception was the key mechanism at play.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
There is a surface-level inconsistency at play here.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
That doesn't mean romance isn’t at play this month.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2025
With an eye to larger forces potentially at play, the memo was filed just minutes before a July 30 midnight deadline imposed by the circumspect Judge Subramanian on Combs finally successful achieving a bond release.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
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Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
There is a surface-level inconsistency at play here.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
That doesn't mean romance isn’t at play this month.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2025
With an eye to larger forces potentially at play, the memo was filed just minutes before a July 30 midnight deadline imposed by the circumspect Judge Subramanian on Combs finally successful achieving a bond release.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
Cite this Entry
“At play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20play. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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