| play it by ear |
to act without planning in advance; improvise. |
| play it safe |
to act so as to prevent or avoid misfortune or danger; be cautious. |
| play on words |
a pun, or an act or instance of punning. |
| play one's cards |
to make and carry out the most advantageous choice. |
| play out |
to develop and progress to conclusion; proceed. [3 definitions] |
| play possum |
(informal) to pretend to be asleep or dead; keep very still. |
| play second fiddle |
to serve in a secondary or subordinate capacity. |
| play someone false |
to betray or deceive someone. |
| play structure |
a large structure, often made of metal or wood, that is built for children to climb and play on and often found in school playgrounds or parks. |
| play to the gallery |
to try to appeal to the broadest popular taste. |
| play with fire |
to carelessly provoke danger. |
| play-action pass |
in football, a forward pass made by the quarterback after feigning a handoff. |
| play-by-play |
concerning or being a detailed account of each step or action during an event, esp. a sports event. [2 definitions] |
| power play |
an offensive maneuver in team sports, in which force is concentrated on a small area. [3 definitions] |
| shadow play |
a theatrical performance produced by casting the shadows of actors or puppets on a lighted screen or curtain. |
| squeeze play |
in baseball, a play in which a runner on third base starts for home plate when the pitcher releases the ball, and the batter tries to bunt. [2 definitions] |
| three-point play |
in basketball, a play in which a player is fouled while making a two-point basket and then scores another point on the subsequent free throw. |
| triple play |
in baseball, a play by the defensive team that puts three offensive players out. |