play sb sth
51play with somebody — ˈplay with sb/sth derived to treat sb who is emotionally attached to you in a way that is not serious and which can hurt their feelings • She tends to play with men s emotions. • She realized that Patrick was merely playing with her. Main entry:… …
52play somebody's game — play sb s ˈgame idiom to do sth which helps sb else s plans, especially by accident, when you did not intend to help them Main entry: ↑gameidiom …
53play something down — MAKE LIGHT OF, make little of, gloss over, de emphasize, downplay, understate; soft pedal, tone down, diminish, trivialize, underrate, underestimate, undervalue; disparage, belittle, scoff at, sneer at, shrug off; …
54play sth back — UK US play sth back Phrasal Verb with play({{}}/pleɪ/ verb ► to watch or listen to something that you have recorded previously, using a DVD player, tape recorder, etc.: »Latest versions of the software let you record and play back TV shows in… …
55play something up — EMPHASIZE, accentuate, call attention to, point up, underline, highlight, spotlight, foreground, feature, stress, accent. → play * * * emphasize the extent or importance of something the mystery surrounding his death was played up by the media *… …
56play sth down — UK US play sth down Phrasal Verb with play({{}}/pleɪ/ verb ► to say that something is not important, especially because you do not want it to be known publicly: »Insiders are playing the matter down, stressing the investigation is industry wide… …
57play sth up — UK US play sth up Phrasal Verb with play({{}}/pleɪ/ verb ► to emphasize something or try to make people believe it is important: »The ad campaign played up the refreshing qualities of bottled water, rather than claiming any medicinal value …
58play a part (in something) — have/play a ˈpart (in sth) idiom to be involved in sth • She plays an active part in local politics. • Alcohol plays a part in 70 per cent of divorces. Main entry: ↑partidiom …
59play no part in something — have/play/take/want no ˈpart in/of sth idiom to not be involved or refuse to be involved in sth, especially because you disapprove of it • I want no part of this sordid business. Main entry: ↑partidiom …
60play no part of something — have/play/take/want no ˈpart in/of sth idiom to not be involved or refuse to be involved in sth, especially because you disapprove of it • I want no part of this sordid business. Main entry: ↑partidiom …
