Exact Match:
- play
- the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully
- activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules; "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child"
- gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement; "it was all done in play"; "their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly"
- a preset plan of action in team sports; "the coach drew up the plays for her team"
- utilization or exercise; "the play of the imagination"
- a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway"
- a theatrical performance of a drama; "the play lasted two hours"
- a state in which action is feasible; "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play"
- engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
- exhaust by allowing to pull on the line; "play a hooked fish"
- participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
- employ in a game or in a specific position; "They played him on first base"
- use or move; "I had to play my queen"
- shoot or hit in a particular manner; "She played a good backhand last night"
- bet or wager (money); "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"
- put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory"
- make bets; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville"
- use to one's advantage; "She plays on her clients' emotions"
- discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream; "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day"
- perform on a certain location; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years"
- be performed; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years"
- cause to emit recorded sounds; "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "Can you play my favorite record?"
- emit recorded sound; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"
- pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians"
- replay (as a melody); "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully"
- play on an instrument; "The band played all night long"
- perform music on (a musical instrument); "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"
- move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly; "The spotlights played on the politicians"
- cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space; "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
- act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal"
- engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike"
- be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl"
- behave in a certain way; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair"
- be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way; "This speech didn't play well with the American public"; "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee"
Synonyms:
- ALGOL,
- COBOL,
- FORTRAN,
- Grand Guignol,
- Passion play,
- Tom show,
- abuse,
- accentuate,
- accompany,
- act,
- act a part,
- act as,
- act as foil,
- act out,
- act up,
- acting,
- action,
- actions,
- activism,
- activity,
- ad lib,
- affect,
- agree,
- air space,
- alphabetic data,
- alphanumeric code,
- ample scope,
- amuse,
- amusement,
- angular data,
- ante,
- ante up,
- antic,
- antimasque,
- ape,
- appear,
- apple-polish,
- appliance,
- application,
- article,
- artifice,
- assembler,
- assume,
- attention,
- audience success,
- autograph,
- back,
- ball,
- ballet,
- barnstorm,
- be effective,
- be in action,
- be occupied with,
- be responsible for,
- be unfaithful,
- beguile,
- behave,
- behavior,
- belittle,
- belly laugh,
- bet,
- bet on,
- betting,
- bicker,
- big time,
- binary digit,
- binary scale,
- binary system,
- bit,
- blank check,
- blue story,
- bluff,
- bomb,
- book,
- bout,
- brainchild,
- broadcast drama,
- brown-nose,
- bug,
- build up,
- burlesque show,
- butter up,
- byte,
- calculated risk,
- call,
- call attention to,
- caper,
- caracole,
- cardsharping,
- carouse,
- carry on,
- carry out,
- carry through,
- carte blanche,
- cast lots,
- casting lots,
- cause trouble,
- cavort,
- challenge,
- chance,
- charade,
- chord,
- chunk,
- clearance,
- cliff hanger,
- closet drama,
- come out,
- comedy drama,
- command pulses,
- commands,
- compete with,
- compiler,
- composition,
- computer code,
- computer language,
- computer printout,
- computer program,
- concertize,
- conduct,
- consider,
- contend with,
- contest,
- control signals,
- controlled quantity,
- cooperate,
- copy,
- coquet,
- correcting signals,
- counterfeit,
- court,
- cover,
- cover up,
- coverage,
- critical success,
- curvet,
- cut a dido,
- cut capers,
- cut lots,
- cut the cards,
- cut up,
- dabble,
- dally,
- dance,
- dancing,
- data,
- daytime serial,
- de-emphasize,
- deal with,
- decathlon,
- decry,
- delay,
- delectation,
- delight,
- demeanor,
- depict,
- deportment,
- deprecate,
- device,
- dialogue,
- dido,
- diminish,
- direct,
- dirty joke,
- dirty story,
- discourse,
- disparage,
- disport,
- dissemble,
- dissimulate,
- diversion,
- divert,
- do,
- do a bit,
- do with,
- document,
- documentary drama,
- doing,
- double entendre,
- double-header,
- doubles,
- draft,
- drama,
- dramalogue,
- dramatic play,
- dramatic series,
- dramatize,
- draw lots,
- draw straws,
- drive,
- duodrama,
- duologue,
- edited version,
- elbowroom,
- emote,
- emotionalize,
- emphasize,
- employ,
- employment,
- enact,
- engage,
- engage in,
- engrossment,
- enjoyment,
- entertain,
- entertainment,
- epic theater,
- error,
- error signals,
- essay,
- ethnic joke,
- event,
- execute,
- exercise,
- exert,
- experimental theater,
- exploit,
- extemporize,
- extravaganza,
- fade,
- failure,
- fair copy,
- fake,
- feedback pulses,
- feedback signals,
- feign,
- feint,
- fiction,
- fiddle,
- fiddle with,
- fiddle-faddle,
- fidget,
- fidget with,
- field,
- film data,
- final draft,
- finesse,
- finger with,
- finished version,
- first draft,
- flatter,
- flexibility,
- flicker,
- flickering,
- flickering light,
- flier,
- flimsy,
- flirt,
- flop,
- flounce,
- flutter,
- fluttering,
- fool,
- fool around,
- fool with,
- fortune,
- four-flush,
- foursome,
- free course,
- free hand,
- free play,
- free scope,
- freedom,
- fribble,
- frisk,
- frivol,
- frivolity,
- frolic,
- full scope,
- full swing,
- fun,
- fun and games,
- function,
- functioning,
- funmaking,
- funny story,
- gag,
- gambit,
- gamble,
- gambling,
- gambol,
- game,
- games of chance,
- gaming,
- gammon,
- gasser,
- get top billing,
- gimmick,
- give,
- giveaway,
- glancing light,
- go,
- go along with,
- good one,
- good story,
- good time,
- great fun,
- gush,
- handbook,
- handle,
- happening,
- have effect,
- have free play,
- have fun,
- have play,
- hazard,
- hazarding,
- headroom,
- hesitate,
- hexadecimal system,
- high old time,
- high time,
- highlight,
- histrionize,
- hit,
- hit show,
- holograph,
- horse around,
- horseplay,
- howler,
- idle,
- impersonate,
- impose on,
- improvisational drama,
- improvise,
- information,
- input data,
- input quantity,
- instructions,
- interpret,
- jape,
- jerk off,
- jest,
- jestbook,
- jet,
- jockey,
- join in,
- joke,
- kid around,
- lambency,
- latitude,
- laugh,
- laughs,
- lay,
- lay a wager,
- lay down,
- leeway,
- legitimate drama,
- let on,
- let on like,
- letter,
- light show,
- literae scriptae,
- literary artefact,
- literary production,
- literature,
- loiter,
- long rope,
- looseness,
- lot,
- lovely time,
- luck,
- lucubration,
- machine language,
- make,
- make a bet,
- make a pretense,
- make as if,
- make believe,
- make go,
- make light of,
- make like,
- make music,
- make out like,
- make use of,
- malfunction,
- manage,
- maneuver,
- maneuvering space,
- manipulate,
- manuscript,
- margin,
- masque,
- masquerade as,
- match,
- match coins,
- matter,
- meet,
- meet a bet,
- melodrama,
- merrymaking,
- mess around,
- mess with,
- message,
- militate,
- mime,
- mimic,
- minimize,
- minstrel show,
- miracle,
- miracle play,
- misbehave,
- misuse,
- monkey,
- monkey around,
- monkey business,
- monodrama,
- monologue,
- morality,
- morality play,
- motion,
- move,
- movement,
- movements,
- multiple messages,
- music drama,
- musical revue,
- mystery,
- mystery play,
- no holds barred,
- noise,
- nonfiction,
- numeric data,
- occupation,
- octal system,
- open space,
- opera,
- operate,
- operation,
- operations,
- opus,
- original,
- oscillograph data,
- output data,
- output quantity,
- overact,
- pageant,
- panel show,
- panic,
- pantomime,
- paper,
- parchment,
- parlay,
- participate,
- participate in,
- pass,
- pass for,
- pastoral,
- pastoral drama,
- patter,
- pentathlon,
- percolate,
- perform,
- perform on,
- perk,
- personate,
- philander,
- picnic,
- piddle,
- piece,
- piece of writing,
- pilot,
- place,
- play a part,
- play a scene,
- play against,
- play around,
- play at dice,
- play ball,
- play by ear,
- play down,
- play for time,
- play of light,
- play on,
- play possum,
- play the game,
- play the lead,
- play the ponies,
- play up,
- play up to,
- play with,
- play-off,
- playact,
- playing,
- playlet,
- pleasant time,
- pleasure,
- ploy,
- plunge,
- ply,
- poem,
- point,
- polar data,
- portray,
- pose as,
- potter,
- practice,
- praxis,
- pretend,
- pretend to be,
- printed matter,
- printout,
- problem play,
- proceed,
- procrastinate,
- production,
- profess,
- psychodrama,
- punch-card data,
- punt,
- put,
- put on,
- put on airs,
- putter,
- quiver,
- quivering,
- quiz show,
- race,
- radio drama,
- raffle off,
- random data,
- range,
- reading matter,
- recension,
- recreate,
- recreation,
- rectangular data,
- reference quantity,
- register,
- render,
- revelry,
- review,
- revue,
- rib tickler,
- riot,
- risk,
- risking,
- rival,
- rollick,
- romp,
- room,
- room to spare,
- rope,
- ruly English,
- run,
- run around,
- runoff,
- scope,
- scream,
- screed,
- scrip,
- script,
- scrive,
- scroll,
- sea room,
- second draft,
- see,
- see to,
- sensational play,
- serial,
- serve,
- set,
- sham,
- shoot craps,
- shot,
- show,
- sick joke,
- sidesplitter,
- sight gag,
- signals,
- simulate,
- single messages,
- singles,
- sitcom,
- situation comedy,
- sketch,
- skip,
- skit,
- skylarking,
- sleep around,
- smatter,
- soap,
- soap opera,
- sociodrama,
- soft-soap,
- sortition,
- space,
- spare room,
- spectacle,
- speculate,
- speculation,
- spew,
- spit,
- sport,
- sporting,
- sportiveness,
- spotlight,
- spout,
- spray,
- spritz,
- spurt,
- spurtle,
- squirt,
- stage play,
- stage show,
- stake,
- staking,
- stall for time,
- stand pat,
- star,
- steal the show,
- steer,
- stooge,
- story,
- straight drama,
- stratagem,
- stress,
- success,
- suck up to,
- surge,
- suspense drama,
- swing,
- symphonize,
- tableau,
- tableau vivant,
- take,
- take advantage of,
- take care of,
- take effect,
- take off,
- take on,
- take part in,
- take up,
- talk show,
- tease,
- teleplay,
- television drama,
- television play,
- temporize,
- the written word,
- theater of cruelty,
- think about,
- think nothing of,
- threesome,
- tick,
- tinker,
- toady to,
- tolerance,
- tomfoolery,
- toss,
- total theater,
- toy,
- toy with,
- trade on,
- transcript,
- transcription,
- tread the boards,
- treatment,
- trifle,
- trifle with,
- trip,
- troupe,
- truckle to,
- tug the heartstrings,
- twiddle,
- twosome,
- typescript,
- uncertainty,
- underline,
- underscore,
- undertake,
- unorganized data,
- upstage,
- use,
- utilize,
- variety show,
- vaudeville,
- vaudeville show,
- vehicle,
- venture,
- version,
- vie with,
- visible-speech data,
- visual joke,
- vomit,
- vomit forth,
- vomit out,
- wager,
- wagering,
- waver,
- way,
- wear,
- well,
- wheeze,
- wide berth,
- wield,
- wile,
- wing it,
- womanize,
- word-of-mouth success,
- work,
- work together,
- working,
- workings,
- wow,
- writing,
- yarn