play - Thesaurus Synonyms and Word Suggestions

play

verb

To occupy oneself with amusement or diversion: disport, recreate, sport. See work
To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion: fiddle, fidget, fool, monkey, putter, tinker, toy, trifle, twiddle. See touch
To make a bet: bet, gamble, game, lay ¹, wager. Idiom: put one's money on something. See gambling
To treat lightly or flippantly: dally, flirt, toy, trifle. See work
To play the part of: act, do, enact, impersonate, perform, play-act, portray, represent. See action, performing arts, substitute
To make music: perform. See performing arts
To perform according to one's artistic conception: execute, interpret, render. See performing arts
To be performed: run, show. See performing arts
To control to one's own advantage by artful or indirect means: exploit, maneuver, manipulate. See control, straight
To cause to undergo or bear (something unwelcome or damaging, for example): impose, inflict, visit, wreak. See give, over, willing

phrasal verb

play along

Informal. To agree to cooperate or participate: go along. See participate

phrasal verb

play around

Informal. To be sexually unfaithful to another: philander, womanize. Informal: cheat, fool around, mess around. See sex

phrasal verb

play down

To make less emphatic or obvious: de-emphasize, tone down. Informal: soft-pedal. See show

phrasal verb

play off

To place in opposition or be in opposition to: counter, match, oppose, pit ¹. Idioms: bump heads with, meet head-on, set (or be) at odds, set (or be) at someone's throat, trade blows (or punches). See support

phrasal verb

play out

To cause (a line) to become longer and less taut: unreel, unroll, unwind. See give
To use all of: consume, drain, draw down, eat up, exhaust, expend, finish, run through, spend, use up. Informal: polish off. See increase
To make or become no longer active or productive: deplete, desiccate, dry up, give out, run out. See continue

phrasal verb

play up

To accord emphasis to: accent, accentuate, emphasize, feature, highlight, italicize, point up, stress, underline, underscore. See important

noun

Activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement: disport, diversion, fun, recreation, sport. See work
Actions taken as a joke: fun, game, sport. See work
The act of putting into play: application, employment, exercise, exertion, implementation, operation, usage, use, utilization. See used
Suitable opportunity to accept or allow something: elbowroom, latitude, leeway, margin, room, scope. See place, restraint
Ease of or space for movement: elbowroom, freedom. See tighten

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Thesaurus: play