play 1 of 2

verb

Definition of playnext
1
as in to recreate
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 to perform
to present a portrayal or performance of played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to pose (as)
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 to lounge
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 to manipulate
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 to put
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

play

2 of 2

noun

ˈplā How to pronounce play (audio)
1
as in relaxation
activity engaged in to amuse oneself it's such a delight to watch the children in their play

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drama
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
3
as in game
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously I didn't mean to insult anyone, for it was all just play

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in use
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
5
as in ruse
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun play differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of play are fun, game, jest, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

In what contexts can fun take the place of play?

While the synonyms fun and play are close in meaning, fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How do game and sport relate to one another, in the sense of play?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When can jest be used instead of play?

While in some cases nearly identical to play, jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When would sport be a good substitute for play?

Although the words sport and play have much in common, sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of play
Verb
The Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays have played in minor league ballparks this season with all the accompanying financial and aesthetic problems. —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 14 July 2025 Rookie Christian Moore has only played in 18 games, but has shown some flashes of brilliance, including a game-tying and then a game-winning home run against the Red Sox late last month. —Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
The dribbler by Hernandez traveled four feet, with Wilmer Flores and Bivins unable to make the play. —Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 13 July 2025 One of Netflix’s big movie plays for July is the sequel to its very silly but very fun action fantasy film The Old Guard. —Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play
  1. perform
  2. lounge
  3. manipulate
  4. put
  5. relaxation
  6. drama
  7. game
  8. use
Verb
  • The military branch is slated to perform its first-ever refueling of a U.S. military asset in orbit as early as next summer.
    — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025
  • What’s next on deck is further exploration with agentic AI, systems that are designed to perform tasks autonomously or with little human intervention.
    — John Kell, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Definition of perform
Verb
  • Days spent lounging on the beach are typically followed by oceanside drinks and dancing at the lively, unpretentious Paddy’s Beach Club or the Windjammer Surf Bar.
    — Bob Curley, AFAR Media, 8 July 2025
  • In early June, Bieber posted a cute snap of himself lounging with his feet up as his son held onto his leg.
    — Kayla Grant, People.com, 7 July 2025
Definition of lounge
Verb
  • Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.
    — Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025
  • Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code or access other parts of your system by manipulating memory.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Definition of manipulate
Verb
  • Cayley put her deposit down in February and traveled to Turkey in May.
    — Hedy Phillips, People.com, 15 July 2025
  • But the 2025 grades put Brookshire Elementary School in Winter Park in an uncomfortable spotlight.
    — Zoey Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
Definition of put
Noun
  • For relaxation, the Mokara Spa offers massages and body treatments, while the heated rooftop pool provides a serene escape with city views.
    — Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 10 July 2025
  • The class encompasses information about exercises to prepare the mother for birth, relaxation and coping techniques, pain control options, labor positioning, induction and C-section basics, recovery and welcoming baby.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2025
Definition of relaxation
Noun
  • Various Chinese dramas, specifically Nothing But Thirty.
    — Teddy Wayne July 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
  • The adventure drama premiered on June 29, attracting 2.6M viewers on linear alone, per Nielsen live+3 data.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 July 2025
Definition of drama
Noun
  • Players can be added or subtracted between now and the game, but that doesn't mean some players weren't snubbed from the original rosters.
    — Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
  • The Padres began spring training believing Darvish would join Michael King and Dylan Cease atop a rotation that could help win plentiful games in the regular season and successfully navigate postseason series.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2025
Definition of game
Noun
  • DeAndre Williams, 22, was charged with first degree reckless homicide with use of a dangerous weapon for killing Romell Campbell, 41, at a West Capital Drive liquor store in September 2024.
    — Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 7 July 2025
  • Roughly two dozen states have enacted laws requiring age verification for pornography sites, more internet privacy controls for children or curbs on social media use.
    — Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
Definition of use

Phrases Containing play

Browse Nearby Words

plausibly
play
playact
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on play

Nglish: Translation of play for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about play

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a plate of arepas
Name That Dish! Some mouth-watering food for thought
See All