1
as in recreates
to engage in activity for amusement
told her son that he needed some time to run and play in the yard after his hard work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in performs
to present a portrayal or performance of
played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in mocks
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior
stop playing the innocent, because I know that you were behind that prank
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in idles
to spend time in aimless activity
just played around while we waited for the bus to arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in manipulates
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
this is how we're going to play the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in puts
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event
figuring that she had little to lose, she played her last few bucks on the state lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in dramas
a written work in which the story is told through speech and action that is intended to be acted out on stage
we'll be putting on a school play using that stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in uses
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose
the host's sense of humor was obviously in play during the awards ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
the guy at the bar made an unusually creative play to get her phone number
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of plays
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
When the Heat plays Herro and Powell together, Miami has been outscored by 26 points in 249 minutes this season.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Ella Stiller arrives as Patience, Valerie’s social-media guru, Jack O’Brien sweetly plays her new hairdresser, and Andrew Scott, doing the most to eradicate any lingering Hot Priest vibes, plays a wildly unctuous NuNet executive.
—Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
Friday was the first of two Fonda underplays McCartney plays this weekend, with show two coming Saturday night.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2026
Illinois plays Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Rori Harmon plays through hand injury The senior guard finished with 11 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds on Saturday, despite injuring her hand in the first quarter.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
Air service plays an outsize role in the nation's most expansive state, where most communities rely on flights for year-round access.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
In the series, Michelle Pfeiffer plays his on-screen opposite.
—Janelle Ash , Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The Angels backed Kochanowicz with two other super plays, left fielder Josh Lowe diving to catch Dominic Canzone's flare in the fourth and second baseman Ozwald Peraza diving to stop Raley's fifth-inning grounder up the middle and throwing to first.
—CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The room available to make plays got smaller by the end of the first, and was non-existent at times in the middle frame.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
The loss isn’t solely on either star, but neither stepped up when the Huskies desperately needed someone to take over and make plays.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Across a two-hour practice featuring dozens upon dozens of plays, even the best players suffer a misstep, a mental lapse or let off the gas for a moment.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
This marks the fourth of Kirkman’s plays staged by the company.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Winning plays aren’t necessarily scoring plays.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
One member of the company takes five shots of whiskey (or another liquor of their choice) before tackling a role in one of Bard’s most famous plays.
—Abraham Swee, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Hsu plays Joy, a morose daughter of two Chinese immigrants.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
When the Heat plays Herro and Powell together, Miami has been outscored by 26 points in 249 minutes this season.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Ella Stiller arrives as Patience, Valerie’s social-media guru, Jack O’Brien sweetly plays her new hairdresser, and Andrew Scott, doing the most to eradicate any lingering Hot Priest vibes, plays a wildly unctuous NuNet executive.
—Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
Friday was the first of two Fonda underplays McCartney plays this weekend, with show two coming Saturday night.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2026
Illinois plays Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Rori Harmon plays through hand injury The senior guard finished with 11 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds on Saturday, despite injuring her hand in the first quarter.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
Air service plays an outsize role in the nation's most expansive state, where most communities rely on flights for year-round access.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
In the series, Michelle Pfeiffer plays his on-screen opposite.
—Janelle Ash , Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
The Angels backed Kochanowicz with two other super plays, left fielder Josh Lowe diving to catch Dominic Canzone’s flare in the fourth and second baseman Ozwald Peraza diving to stop Raley’s fifth-inning grounder up the middle and throwing to first.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The Angels backed Kochanowicz with two other super plays, left fielder Josh Lowe diving to catch Dominic Canzone's flare in the fourth and second baseman Ozwald Peraza diving to stop Raley's fifth-inning grounder up the middle and throwing to first.
—CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The room available to make plays got smaller by the end of the first, and was non-existent at times in the middle frame.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
The loss isn’t solely on either star, but neither stepped up when the Huskies desperately needed someone to take over and make plays.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Across a two-hour practice featuring dozens upon dozens of plays, even the best players suffer a misstep, a mental lapse or let off the gas for a moment.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
This marks the fourth of Kirkman’s plays staged by the company.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Winning plays aren’t necessarily scoring plays.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
One member of the company takes five shots of whiskey (or another liquor of their choice) before tackling a role in one of Bard’s most famous plays.
—Abraham Swee, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays
Verb
-
The land recreates Arendelle around a lagoon, its timber buildings painted in muted Scandinavian pastels, facades adorned with rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian decorative art.—
Thomas Adamson,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Set the scene Copenhagen Fashion Week may only occur twice a year, but staying at the Bella Grande recreates the city’s most fashionable event on the daily.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Following liftoff, the SLS rocket will place Orion into Earth orbit before the capsule performs a burn that sends the spacecraft toward the moon.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
During the trial, the team collected real-world data to evaluate how quantum positioning performs in a live national rail network.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Generally speaking, Normand playfully mocks all sorts of different groups rather equally.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.—
Madisen Keavy,
CBS News,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Reinhart’s Apple is a deliciously deadly mystery wrapped in sequins and pure unadulterated attitude, as Tung’s Pumpkin subtly manipulates the group to get to the bottom of a past incident that weighs on her personally, despite her new friends being oblivious to her true identity.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The film is being released as newsrooms shrink, the mainstream media consolidates and social media manipulates the meaning of truth.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, Carryboy puts the wet bathroom directly across the aisle and has the kitchen block extend out into the rear of the side entryway.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Understanding the options — from headers to fabric types — puts you in a stronger position to make choices that truly serve your space and your daily life.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The new adaptation has to figure out how to update the screenplay to avoid the mostly exploitational way such relationships were treated in the dramas of the 1970s.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In a situation with very few precedents in rock history, Schon and Cain continued to tour together in Journey in the middle of all their legal and personal dramas.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Confronted with larger workloads and a shrinking headcount, AI — both the kind officially approved by companies and more surreptitious uses — has made its way via support staff into essential Hollywood workflows, including the creative development process.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Kelp has additional uses such as fuel and fertilizer.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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