play at

play at
phrasal verb [transitive]
Word forms "play at":
present tense I/you/we/they play at he/she/it plays at present participle playing at past tense played at past participle played at
1) play at something to do something without being very serious about it

I think she's just playing at running a business.

2) play at something if children play at something, they pretend to be someone else or to be involved in a particular type of situation

A child playing at shopping, for example, will display early maths skills.

3) what is he/she playing at? used when you think that someone is behaving in a stupid or dishonest way

What does he think he's playing at, making the children lie for him?


English dictionary. 2014.

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