Collocations for "play"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "play" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2026
play
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- play with your [friends, children]
- playing at [school, the park]
- play in the [mud, sand, snow, rain]
- play [house, make believe, cops and robbers]
- play [tag, dodgeball]
- play [a game, a board game, basketball, cards]
- play for your [school, country, friends]
- play [dirty, fairly, nicely, fair, nice]
- plays [well, beautifully]
- play to win
- play by the rules
- play your cards right
- play the [cards, hand] you're dealt
- play [outside, inside]
- play [a song, an instrument, the piano]
- plays [guitar, bass, the drums] (in a band)
- learn to play the [piano, violin]
- play at a [concert, recital]
- play [music, a record, the CD, an album]
- [music, song] (that) was playing on the radio
- played it on the radio
- the DJ played [good music, our favorite song]
- play the [role, part] of
- play the [markets, stock market]
- (referee told them to) play on
- [is, are] playing for time
- play the fool
- play the field
- play it by ear
- play it safe
- play down the [importance, significance, seriousness, severity] of
- are playing [it] down
- a [romantic, dramatic, comedy] play
- a [good, great, controversial, poor] play
- a well- [written, performed] play
- [direct, stage, write] a play
- [perform, act, star] in a play
- a play about [love, modern society, jealousy, solitude]
- the plays of [Shakespeare]
- the [director, writer, author] of a play
- [an actor, an actress, the performers] in a play
- sport: [high, intense, low] rhythm of play
- sport: [concede, score, hold out] during a power play
- a [good, excellent, poor] play from the [striker, quarterback, goalkeeper]
- [rain, bad weather, poor light] has delayed play
- rain stopped play
- all work and no play
- [messy, educational, structured, unstructured] play
- the [children, schoolchildren, brothers, sisters, friends] were at play (in the park)
- (is) a play on words
- a (quick) play [of, on] the [guitar, saxophone, piano]
- can I have a play (on the guitar)?
- a play [family, house, kitchen, shop, fight]
- play money
- (children's) play [area, park, pool]
'play' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
act
- allow
- bill
- can
- cast
- close
- damn
- direct
- enjoy
- hate
- hit
- last
- like
- murder
- open
- pen
- perform
- portray
- register
- resort
- run
- sandwich
- school
- stage
- threaten
- ticket
- try
- win
- would
- two
- advocate
- balance
- ball
- band
- basketball
- beach
- beat
- black
- block
- book
- bowl
- boy
- bridge
- castle
- chair
- chest
- child
- comment
- confidence
- content