play at

phrasal verb

played at; playing at; plays at

: to do (something) in a way that is not serious

They were only playing at trying to fix the problem.

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

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

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In six major league seasons, Alonso has played at least 152 games in every nonpandemic year. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025 Super Bowl 59 will be played at Caesars Superdome stadium in New Orleans. —

Claire Franken, TVLine, 5 Feb. 2025 The Holy War has been played at the end of the regular season just once in the past 15 years. —

Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025 Retired from a career in recreation management in Escondido, Ritchie plays at Oaks North in Rancho Bernardo and competes in tournaments throughout the year in the Southwest Division. —

Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for play at