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
There’s a happy obsessiveness at play here, the desire to make every square inch count.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2025
To catch Saturn, Venus and Neptune at play, stargazers need only find a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon, and look eastward in the hour preceding sunrise on April 28.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Also at play was the possibility that Shuster’s sister didn’t have the authority to bind the estate to the deal that purportedly surrendered its rights to terminate DC’s ownership of Superman.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025
This can be a Tetris-like task, with varying eaters at play (picky ones, adventurous ones, cheese-only ones).
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
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Justin Davidson, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2025
To catch Saturn, Venus and Neptune at play, stargazers need only find a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon, and look eastward in the hour preceding sunrise on April 28.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Also at play was the possibility that Shuster’s sister didn’t have the authority to bind the estate to the deal that purportedly surrendered its rights to terminate DC’s ownership of Superman.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025
This can be a Tetris-like task, with varying eaters at play (picky ones, adventurous ones, cheese-only ones).
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 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 2 May. 2025.
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