PLAYING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

playing

verb

present participle of play

as in recreating

to engage in activity for amusement told her son that he needed some time to run and play in the yard after his hard work

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in performing

to present a portrayal or performance of played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic

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as in mocking

to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior stop playing the innocent, because I know that you were behind that prank

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as in lounging

to spend time in aimless activity just played around while we waited for the bus to arrive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in managing

to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently this is how we're going to play the situation

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as in putting

to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event figuring that she had little to lose, she played her last few bucks on the state lottery

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of playing As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line. —

Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026 Twin sisters Jordan and Jaedyn Gomez, playing for Boone, lost their second round individual bracket doubles match 6-0, 6-0 against Doral Academy’s top seeded duo of Payton Seidle-Lubowitz and Stefany Zamora. —

Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026 The most caustic people in the world often have the softest underbellies — at least if Alden Ehrenreich is playing them. —

Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026 While Asian countries are the brand’s biggest suppliers, other countries in Europe and Africa are now playing a critical role in its supply chain. —

Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2026 Most recently, Dever has been seen playing Abby in the second season of HBO’s award-winning series The Last of Us, starring alongside Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. —

Matt Grobar, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026 Every inch is just packed with people lying on blankets or playing bocce, trying to get a little bit of sunlight. —

Anne Kadet, Curbed, 29 Apr. 2026 Both grew up playing sports and were quite good at them. —

Tracy Kimball, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026 Smith’s theory is that LeBron is playing a PR game. —

Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing

Verb

Vanity Fair spoke with the costume designer for the movie, Marci Rodgers, who had the heavy task of recreating Jackson’s world through fashion.

— Kia D. Goosby, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
Fuqua even shot an entire action sequence recreating the infamous 1993 raid on Neverland Ranch, which culminated in police officers strip-searching Jackson and examining his genitals to compare them with Chandler’s description.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026