| dramatize | | |
| v. (creation) | 1. adopt, dramatise, dramatize | put into dramatic form.; "adopt a book for a screenplay" |
| ~ authorship, penning, writing, composition | the act of creating written works.; "writing was a form of therapy for him"; "it was a matter of disputed authorship" |
| ~ indite, pen, write, compose | produce a literary work.; "She composed a poem"; "He wrote four novels" |
| v. (communication) | 2. dramatise, dramatize | represent something in a dramatic manner.; "These events dramatize the lack of social responsibility among today's youth" |
| ~ represent | serve as a means of expressing something.; "The flower represents a young girl" |
| ~ overdramatise, overdramatize | present in an overly dramatic manner.; "She is overdramatizing her child's failure in the physics class" |
| v. (communication) | 3. aggrandise, aggrandize, blow up, dramatise, dramatize, embellish, embroider, lard, pad | add details to. |
| ~ glorify | cause to seem more splendid.; "You are glorifying a rather mediocre building" |
| ~ exaggerate, hyperbolise, hyperbolize, overstate, amplify, magnify, overdraw | to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth.; "tended to romanticize and exaggerate this `gracious Old South' imagery" |
| game | | |
| n. (act) | 1. game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ move | (game) a player's turn to take some action permitted by the rules of the game. |
| ~ activity | any specific behavior.; "they avoided all recreational activity" |
| ~ game | a single play of a sport or other contest.; "the game lasted two hours" |
| ~ turn, play | (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession.; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play" |
| ~ curling | a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target. |
| ~ bowling | a game in which balls are rolled at an object or group of objects with the aim of knocking them over or moving them. |
| ~ pall-mall | a 17th century game; a wooden ball was driven along an alley with a mallet. |
| ~ athletic game | a game involving athletic activity. |
| ~ child's game | a game enjoyed by children. |
| ~ card game, cards | a game played with playing cards. |
| ~ table game | a game that is played on a table. |
| ~ parlor game, parlour game | a game suitable for playing in a parlor. |
| ~ gambling game, game of chance | a game that involves gambling. |
| ~ zero-sum game | a game in which the total of all the gains and losses is zero. |
| ~ game | the game equipment needed in order to play a particular game.; "the child received several games for his birthday" |
| ~ horn | a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it. |
| ~ penalty | (games) a handicap or disadvantage that is imposed on a competitor (or a team) for an infraction of the rules of the game. |
| ~ rematch, replay | something (especially a game) that is played again. |
| ~ side | one of two or more contesting groups.; "the Confederate side was prepared to attack" |
| ~ game | (games) the score at a particular point or the score needed to win.; "the game is 6 all"; "he is serving for the game" |
| ~ period of play, playing period, play | (in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds.; "rain stopped play in the 4th inning" |
| ~ run off | decide (a contest or competition) by a runoff. |
| ~ play out | play to a finish.; "We have got to play this game out, even thought it is clear that we have last" |
| ~ course | hunt with hounds.; "He often courses hares" |
| ~ defending | attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring. |
| ~ played | (of games) engaged in.; "the loosely played game" |
| n. (act) | 2. game | a single play of a sport or other contest.; "the game lasted two hours" |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ away game, road game | a game played away from home. |
| ~ home game | a game played at home. |
| ~ exhibition game, practice game | a game whose outcome is not recorded in the season's standing. |
| ~ nightcap | the final game of a double header. |
| ~ double feature, doubleheader, twin bill | two games instead of one (especially in baseball when the same two teams play two games on the same day). |
| ~ playoff game | one game in the series of games constituting a playoff. |
| ~ cup tie | an eliminating game between teams in a cup competition. |
| ~ contest, competition | an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants. |
| n. (act) | 3. game | an amusement or pastime.; "they played word games"; "he thought of his painting as a game that filled his empty time"; "his life was all fun and games" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ catch | a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth.; "he played catch with his son in the backyard" |
| ~ party game | a game to amuse guests at a party. |
| ~ computer game, video game | a game played against a computer. |
| ~ pinball, pinball game | a game played on a sloping board; the object is to propel marbles against pins or into pockets. |
| ~ guessing game | a game in which participants compete to identify some obscurely indicated thing. |
| ~ ducks and drakes | a game in which a flat stone is bounced along the surface of calm water. |
| ~ mind game | any game designed to exercise the intellect. |
| ~ hare and hounds, paper chase | an outdoor game; one group of players (the hares) start off on a long run scattering bits of paper (the scent) and pursuers (the hounds) try to catch them before they reach a designated spot. |
| ~ ring-a-rosy, ring-around-a-rosy, ring-around-the-rosy | a children's game in which the players dance around in a circle and at a given signal all squat. |
| ~ prisoner's base | a children's game; two teams capture opposing players by tagging them and taking them to their own base. |
| ~ treasure hunt | a game in which players try to find hidden articles by using a series of clues. |
| n. (animal) | 4. game | animal hunted for food or sport. |
| ~ animal, animate being, beast, creature, brute, fauna | a living organism characterized by voluntary movement. |
| ~ big game | large animals that are hunted for sport. |
| ~ game bird | any bird (as grouse or pheasant) that is hunted for sport. |
| n. (time) | 5. game | (tennis) a division of play during which one player serves. |
| ~ lawn tennis, tennis | a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court. |
| ~ division, section, part | one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole.; "the written part of the exam"; "the finance section of the company"; "the BBC's engineering division" |
| ~ set | a unit of play in tennis or squash.; "they played two sets of tennis after dinner" |
| n. (quantity) | 6. game | (games) the score at a particular point or the score needed to win.; "the game is 6 all"; "he is serving for the game" |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ score | a number that expresses the accomplishment of a team or an individual in a game or contest.; "the score was 7 to 0" |
| n. (food) | 7. game | the flesh of wild animals that is used for food. |
| ~ meat | the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food. |
| ~ venison | meat from a deer used as food. |
| ~ buffalo | meat from an American bison. |
| ~ hare, rabbit | flesh of any of various rabbits or hares (wild or domesticated) eaten as food. |
| n. (cognition) | 8. game, plot, secret plan | a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal).; "they concocted a plot to discredit the governor"; "I saw through his little game from the start" |
| ~ scheme, strategy | an elaborate and systematic plan of action. |
| ~ counterplan, counterplot | a plot intended to subvert another plot. |
| ~ intrigue, machination | a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends. |
| ~ cabal, conspiracy | a plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot). |
| n. (artifact) | 9. game | the game equipment needed in order to play a particular game.; "the child received several games for his birthday" |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ game equipment | equipment or apparatus used in playing a game. |
| ~ puzzle | a game that tests your ingenuity. |
| n. (act) | 10. biz, game | your occupation or line of work.; "he's in the plumbing game"; "she's in show biz" |
| ~ job, line of work, occupation, business, line | the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money.; "he's not in my line of business" |
| ~ colloquialism | a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech. |
| n. (act) | 11. game | frivolous or trifling behavior.; "for actors, memorizing lines is no game"; "for him, life is all fun and games" |
| ~ frolic, gambol, romp, caper, play | gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement.; "it was all done in play"; "their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly" |
| v. (competition) | 12. back, bet on, gage, game, punt, stake | place a bet on.; "Which horse are you backing?"; "I'm betting on the new horse" |
| ~ ante | place one's stake. |
| ~ parlay, double up | stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager. |
| ~ wager, bet, play | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| adj. | 13. crippled, game, gimpy, halt, halting, lame | disabled in the feet or legs.; "a crippled soldier"; "a game leg" |
| ~ unfit | not in good physical or mental condition; out of condition.; "fat and very unfit"; "certified as unfit for army service"; "drunk and unfit for service" |
| adj. | 14. game, gamey, gamy, gritty, mettlesome, spirited, spunky | willing to face danger. |
| ~ brave, courageous | possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching.; "Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver but less daring"; "a frank courageous heart...triumphed over pain"; "set a courageous example by leading them safely into and out of enemy-held territory" |
| sport | | |
| n. (act) | 1. athletics, sport | an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition. |
| ~ offside | (sport) the mistake of occupying an illegal position on the playing field (in football, soccer, ice hockey, field hockey, etc.). |
| ~ wipeout | a spill in some sport (as a fall from a bicycle or while skiing or being capsized on a surfboard). |
| ~ toss, flip, pass | (sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team.; "the pass was fumbled" |
| ~ daisy cutter | a batted or served ball that skims along close to the ground. |
| ~ call | (sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee.; "he was ejected for protesting the call" |
| ~ funambulism, tightrope walking | walking on a tightrope or slack rope. |
| ~ rock climbing | the sport or pastime of scaling rock masses on mountain sides (especially with the help of ropes and special equipment). |
| ~ birling, logrolling | rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport). |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ contact sport | a sport that necessarily involves body contact between opposing players. |
| ~ field sport, outdoor sport | a sport that is played outdoors. |
| ~ gymnastics, gymnastic exercise | a sport that involves exercises intended to display strength and balance and agility. |
| ~ track and field | participating in athletic sports performed on a running track or on the field associated with it. |
| ~ skiing | a sport in which participants must travel on skis. |
| ~ aquatics, water sport | sports that involve bodies of water. |
| ~ rowing, row | the act of rowing as a sport. |
| ~ archery | the sport of shooting arrows with a bow. |
| ~ sledding | the sport of riding on a sled or sleigh. |
| ~ skating | the sport of gliding on skates. |
| ~ racing | the sport of engaging in contests of speed. |
| ~ equitation, horseback riding, riding | the sport of siting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements. |
| ~ cycling | the sport of traveling on a bicycle or motorcycle. |
| ~ blood sport | sport that involves killing animals (especially hunting). |
| ~ athletic game | a game involving athletic activity. |
| ~ stroke, shot | (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand.; "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker"; "a good shot requires good balance and tempo"; "he left me an almost impossible shot" |
| ~ position | (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player.; "what position does he play?" |
| ~ foul | an act that violates the rules of a sport. |
| ~ personal foul | a foul that involves unnecessarily rough contact (as in basketball or football). |
| ~ possession | (sport) the act of controlling the ball (or puck).; "they took possession of the ball on their own goal line" |
| ~ judo | a sport adapted from jujitsu (using principles of not resisting) and similar to wrestling; developed in Japan. |
| ~ spectator sport | a sport that many people find entertaining to watch. |
| ~ team sport | a sport that involves competition between teams of players.; "baseball is a team sport by golf is not" |
| ~ save | (sports) the act of preventing the opposition from scoring.; "the goalie made a brilliant save"; "the relief pitcher got credit for a save" |
| ~ press box | box reserved for reporters (as at a sports event). |
| ~ tuck | (sports) a bodily position adopted in some sports (such as diving or skiing) in which the knees are bent and the thighs are drawn close to the chest. |
| ~ game plan | (sports) a plan for achieving an objective in some sport. |
| ~ won-lost record | (sports) a record of win versus losses. |
| ~ english, side | (sports) the spin given to a ball by striking it on one side or releasing it with a sharp twist. |
| ~ series | (sports) several contests played successively by the same teams.; "the visiting team swept the series" |
| ~ trial | (sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications.; "the trials for the semifinals began yesterday" |
| ~ defending team, defence, defense | (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring.; "his teams are always good on defense" |
| ~ bench warmer | (sports) a substitute who seldom plays. |
| ~ coach, manager, handler | (sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team. |
| ~ free agent | (sports) a professional athlete who is free to sign a contract to play for any team. |
| ~ iron man, ironman | a strong man of exceptional physical endurance. |
| ~ ref, referee | (sports) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play. |
| ~ talent scout, scout | someone employed to discover and recruit talented persons (especially in the worlds of entertainment or sports). |
| ~ shooter | (sports) a player who drives or kicks a ball at the goal (or a basketball player who shoots at the basket). |
| ~ timekeeper, timer | (sports) an official who keeps track of the time elapsed. |
| ~ deficit | (sports) the score by which a team or individual is losing. |
| ~ lead | (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning. |
| ~ average | (sports) the ratio of successful performances to opportunities. |
| ~ free agency | (sports) the state of a professional athlete who is free to negotiate a contract to play for any team. |
| ~ regulation time | (sports) the normal prescribed duration of a game.; "the game was finished in regulation time" |
| ~ sudden death | (sports) overtime in which play is stopped as soon as one contestant scores; e.g. football and golf. |
| ~ bout, round, turn | (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive. |
| ~ surge | see one's performance improve.; "He levelled the score and then surged ahead" |
| ~ seed | distribute (players or teams) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds. |
| ~ outclass | cause to appear in a lower class.; "The Yankees outclassed Cincinnati" |
| ~ call | indicate a decision in regard to.; "call balls and strikes behind the plate" |
| ~ curl | play the Scottish game of curling. |
| ~ start | play in the starting lineup. |
| ~ field | play as a fielder. |
| ~ shoot | score.; "shoot a basket"; "shoot a goal" |
| ~ referee, umpire | be a referee or umpire in a sports competition. |
| ~ drop | lose (a game).; "The Giants dropped 11 of their first 13" |
| ~ down | bring down or defeat (an opponent). |
| ~ bandy | toss or strike a ball back and forth. |
| ~ double-team | cover with two defensive players. |
| ~ submarine | bring down with a blow to the legs. |
| ~ kick | drive or propel with the foot. |
| ~ punt | kick the ball. |
| ~ follow through | carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball. |
| ~ kill | hit with great force.; "He killed the ball" |
| ~ kill | hit with so much force as to make a return impossible, in racket games.; "She killed the ball" |
| ~ drive | hit very hard, as by swinging a bat horizontally.; "drive a ball" |
| ~ racket | hit (a ball) with a racket. |
| ~ dribble, carry | propel,.; "Carry the ball"; "dribble the ball" |
| ~ cut | hit (a ball) with a spin so that it turns in the opposite direction.; "cut a Ping-Pong ball" |
| ~ box | engage in a boxing match. |
| ~ spar | box lightly. |
| ~ spar | fight with spurs.; "the gamecocks were sparring" |
| ~ prizefight | box for a prize or money. |
| ~ shadowbox | go through boxing motions without an opponent. |
| ~ tramp | travel on foot, especially on a walking expedition.; "We went tramping about the state of Colorado" |
| ~ hike | walk a long way, as for pleasure or physical exercise.; "We were hiking in Colorado"; "hike the Rockies" |
| ~ mountaineer | climb mountains for pleasure as a sport. |
| ~ abseil, rappel, rope down | lower oneself with a rope coiled around the body from a mountainside.; "The ascent was easy--roping down the mountain would be much more difficult and dangerous"; "You have to learn how to abseil when you want to do technical climbing" |
| ~ backpack, pack | hike with a backpack.; "Every summer they are backpacking in the Rockies" |
| ~ run | run with the ball; in such sports as football. |
| ~ jog | run for exercise.; "jog along the canal" |
| ~ skate | move along on skates.; "The Dutch often skate along the canals in winter" |
| ~ spread-eagle | execute a spread eagle on skates, with arms and legs stretched out. |
| ~ ice skate | move along on ice skates. |
| ~ figure skate | dance on skates. |
| ~ roller skate | travel on shoes with steel or rubber rollers attached to their soles.; "In some fashionable restaurants, the waiters roller skate around" |
| ~ skateboard | ride on a flat board with rollers attached to the bottom. |
| ~ rollerblade | travel on shoes with a single line of rubber wheels attached to their soles.; "you'd better wear a helmet and knee protectors when you Rollerblade!"; "The muscular actor loves to Rollerblade" |
| ~ speed skate | race on skates. |
| ~ ski | move along on skis.; "We love to ski the Rockies"; "My children don't ski" |
| ~ schuss | ski downhill. |
| ~ sled, sleigh | ride (on) a sled. |
| ~ bobsled, bob | ride a bobsled.; "The boys bobbed down the hill screaming with pleasure" |
| ~ luge, toboggan | move along on a luge or toboggan. |
| ~ water ski | ride water skis. |
| ~ scull | propel with sculls.; "scull the boat" |
| ~ canoe | travel by canoe.; "canoe along the canal" |
| ~ kayak | travel in a small canoe.; "we kayaked down the river" |
| ~ paddle | propel with a paddle.; "paddle your own canoe" |
| ~ surf, surfboard | ride the waves of the sea with a surfboard.; "Californians love to surf" |
| ~ windsurf | ride standing on a surfboard with an attached sail, on water.; "You cannot windsurf when the air is completely still" |
| ~ skin-dive | swim underwater with no breathing apparatus other than a snorkel. |
| ~ jackknife | dive into the water bending the body at the waist at a right angle, like a jackknife. |
| ~ snorkel | dive with a snorkel. |
| ~ ski jump | jump on skis. |
| ~ hurdle | jump a hurdle. |
| ~ ride the bench, warm the bench | be out of the game.; "Miller was riding the bench in Saturday's game" |
| ~ run | make without a miss. |
| ~ sit out | not participate in (an activity, such as a dance or a sports event).; "He sat out the game" |
| ~ in play | of a ball.; "the ball is still in play" |
| ~ out of play | (of a ball).; "a ball that is out of play is dead" |
| ~ man-to-man, one-on-one | being a system of play in which an individual defensive player guards an individual offensive player.; "one-on-one defense" |
| ~ loose | (of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player.; "a loose ball" |
| ~ legal | allowed by official rules.; "a legal pass receiver" |
| ~ disqualified | barred from competition for violation of rules.; "a disqualified player" |
| ~ home | used of your own ground.; "a home game" |
| ~ away | used of an opponent's ground.; "an away game" |
| ~ most-valuable | designating the player judged to be the most important to the sport.; "the most-valuable player award" |
| ~ ineligible | prohibited by official rules.; "an ineligible pass receiver" |
| ~ defending | attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring. |
| ~ onside | not offside; being within the prescribed area of play. |
| ~ offside, offsides | illegally beyond a prescribed line or area or ahead of the ball or puck.; "the touchdown was nullified because the left tackle was offside" |
| ~ underarm, underhand, underhanded | with hand brought forward and up from below shoulder level.; "an underhand pitch"; "an underhand stroke" |
| ~ overarm, overhand, overhanded | with hand brought forward and down from above shoulder level.; "an overhand pitch"; "an overhand stroke" |
| ~ upfield | away from the defending teams' end of the playing field. |
| ~ downfield | toward or in the defending team's end of the playing field.; "he threw to a downfield receiver" |
| ~ downfield | toward or in the defending team's end of the playing field.; "he caught the ball and ran downfield 15 yards" |
| ~ at home | on the home team's field.; "they played at home last night" |
| n. (act) | 2. sport | the occupation of athletes who compete for pay. |
| ~ professional boxing | boxing for money. |
| ~ professional wrestling | wrestling for money. |
| ~ sumo | a Japanese form of wrestling; you lose if you are forced out of a small ring or if any part of your body (other than your feet) touches the ground. |
| ~ professional golf | playing golf for money. |
| ~ professional football | football played for pay. |
| ~ professional baseball | playing baseball for money. |
| ~ professional basketball | playing basketball for money. |
| ~ professional tennis | playing tennis for money. |
| ~ job, line of work, occupation, business, line | the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money.; "he's not in my line of business" |
| n. (person) | 3. sport, summercater | (Maine colloquial) a temporary summer resident of Maine. |
| ~ vacationer, vacationist | someone on vacation; someone who is devoting time to pleasure or relaxation rather than to work. |
| n. (person) | 4. sport | a person known for the way she (or he) behaves when teased or defeated or subjected to trying circumstances.; "a good sport"; "a poor sport" |
| ~ individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul | a human being.; "there was too much for one person to do" |
| n. (person) | 5. sport, sportsman, sportswoman | someone who engages in sports. |
| ~ athlete, jock | a person trained to compete in sports. |
| n. (person) | 6. mutant, mutation, sport, variation | (biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration. |
| ~ organism, being | a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently. |
| ~ biological science, biology | the science that studies living organisms. |
| ~ freak, lusus naturae, monstrosity, monster | a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed. |
| n. (communication) | 7. fun, play, sport | verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously).; "he became a figure of fun"; "he said it in sport" |
| ~ humor, wit, witticism, wittiness, humour | a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter. |
| ~ jocosity, jocularity | fun characterized by humor. |
| ~ waggery, waggishness | waggish behavior. |
| ~ drollery, funniness, clowning, comedy | a comic incident or series of incidents. |
| ~ paronomasia, pun, punning, wordplay | a humorous play on words.; "I do it for the pun of it"; "his constant punning irritated her" |
| v. (stative) | 8. boast, feature, sport | wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner.; "she was sporting a new hat" |
| ~ feature, have | have as a feature.; "This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France" |
| v. (motion) | 9. cavort, disport, frisk, frolic, gambol, lark, lark about, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, sport | play boisterously.; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the playroom" |
| ~ play | be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children.; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" |
| play | | |
| n. (communication) | 1. drama, dramatic play, play | a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage.; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway" |
| ~ drama | the literary genre of works intended for the theater. |
| ~ stage direction | an instruction written as part of the script of a play. |
| ~ dramatic composition, dramatic work | a play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc.. |
| ~ grand guignol | a play of a macabre or horrific nature. |
| ~ theater of the absurd | plays stressing the irrational or illogical aspects of life, usually to show that modern life is pointless.; "Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco have written plays for the theater of the absurd" |
| ~ playlet | a short play. |
| ~ act | a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet. |
| ~ miracle play | a medieval play representing episodes from the life of a saint or martyr. |
| ~ morality play | an allegorical play popular in the 15th and 16th centuries; characters personified virtues and vices. |
| ~ mystery play | a medieval play representing episodes from the life of Christ. |
| ~ passion play | a play representing the Passion of Christ. |
| ~ satyr play | an ancient Greek burlesque with a chorus of satyrs. |
| n. (communication) | 2. play | a theatrical performance of a drama.; "the play lasted two hours" |
| ~ show | a social event involving a public performance or entertainment.; "they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway" |
| ~ musical, musical comedy, musical theater | a play or film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with singing and dancing. |
| ~ curtain raiser | a short play presented before the main play. |
| n. (act) | 3. play | a preset plan of action in team sports.; "the coach drew up the plays for her team" |
| ~ knock on | (rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul). |
| ~ power play | (ice hockey) a play in which one team has a numerical advantage over the other as a result of penalties.; "the team was unable to capitalize on the power play" |
| ~ football play | (American football) a play by the offensive team. |
| ~ razmataz, razzle, razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz | any exciting and complex play intended to confuse (dazzle) the opponent. |
| ~ basketball play | a play executed by a basketball team. |
| ~ plan of action | a plan for actively doing something. |
| n. (act) | 4. maneuver, manoeuvre, play | a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill.; "he made a great maneuver"; "the runner was out on a play by the shortstop" |
| ~ movement, move, motion | the act of changing location from one place to another.; "police controlled the motion of the crowd"; "the movement of people from the farms to the cities"; "his move put him directly in my path" |
| ~ athletic game | a game involving athletic activity. |
| ~ takeaway | the act of taking the ball or puck away from the team on the offense (as by the interception of a pass). |
| ~ figure | a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating.; "she made the best score on compulsory figures" |
| ~ completion, pass completion | (American football) a successful forward pass in football. |
| ~ ball hawking | a skillful maneuver in catching balls or in stealing the ball from the opposing team. |
| ~ assist | (sports) the act of enabling another player to make a good play. |
| ~ icing the puck, icing | (ice hockey) the act of shooting the puck from within your own defensive area the length of the rink beyond the opponent's goal. |
| ~ jugglery | the performance of a juggler. |
| ~ obstruction | getting in someone's way. |
| ~ baseball play | (baseball) a play executed by a baseball team. |
| ~ footwork | the manner of using the feet. |
| ~ stroke, shot | (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand.; "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker"; "a good shot requires good balance and tempo"; "he left me an almost impossible shot" |
| ~ blitz, linebacker blitzing, safety blitz | (American football) defensive players try to break through the offensive line. |
| ~ trap play, mousetrap | (American football) a play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then blocked off as the runner goes through the place the lineman vacated. |
| n. (state) | 5. play | a state in which action is feasible.; "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play" |
| ~ activeness, action, activity | the state of being active.; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action" |
| n. (act) | 6. play | utilization or exercise.; "the play of the imagination" |
| ~ usage, use, utilisation, utilization, exercise, employment | the act of using.; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers" |
| n. (act) | 7. bid, play | an attempt to get something.; "they made a futile play for power"; "he made a bid to gain attention" |
| ~ attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something.; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" |
| n. (act) | 8. child's play, play | activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules.; "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ house | play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults.; "the children were playing house" |
| ~ doctor | children take the roles of physician or patient or nurse and pretend they are at the physician's office.; "the children explored each other's bodies by playing the game of doctor" |
| ~ fireman | play in which children pretend to put out a fire. |
| n. (time) | 9. period of play, play, playing period | (in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds.; "rain stopped play in the 4th inning" |
| ~ quantity, measure, amount | how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify. |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ athletic game | a game involving athletic activity. |
| ~ golf hole, hole | one playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course.; "he played 18 holes" |
| ~ chukka, chukker | (polo) one of six divisions into which a polo match is divided. |
| ~ inning, frame | (baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat. |
| ~ set | a unit of play in tennis or squash.; "they played two sets of tennis after dinner" |
| ~ bout, round, turn | (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive. |
| ~ first period | the first division into which the play of a game is divided. |
| ~ second period | the second division into which the play of a game is divided. |
| ~ final period | the final division into which the play of a game is divided. |
| ~ half | one of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval. |
| ~ period | (ice hockey) one of three divisions into which play is divided in hockey games. |
| ~ quarter | (football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided.; "both teams scored in the first quarter" |
| ~ over | (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch. |
| n. (state) | 10. free rein, play | the removal of constraints.; "he gave free rein to his impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent" |
| ~ freedom | the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints. |
| n. (event) | 11. play, shimmer | a weak and tremulous light.; "the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers"; "the play of light on the water" |
| ~ alteration, change, modification | an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another.; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" |
| n. (attribute) | 12. looseness, play | movement or space for movement.; "there was too much play in the steering wheel" |
| ~ movability, movableness | the quality of being movable; capable of being moved or rearranged. |
| ~ wiggliness | a jerky back and forth kind of mobility.; "he walked with the wiggliness of a child on high heels" |
| ~ slackness, slack | the quality of being loose (not taut).; "he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope" |
| n. (act) | 13. caper, frolic, gambol, play, romp | gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement.; "it was all done in play"; "their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ coquetry, flirtation, flirting, toying, dalliance, flirt | playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest. |
| ~ foolery, tomfoolery, lunacy, craziness, folly, indulgence | foolish or senseless behavior. |
| ~ game | frivolous or trifling behavior.; "for actors, memorizing lines is no game"; "for him, life is all fun and games" |
| ~ horseplay | rowdy or boisterous play. |
| ~ teasing | playful vexation.; "the parody was just a form of teasing" |
| ~ word play | playing on words or speech sounds. |
| n. (act) | 14. play, turn | (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession.; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play" |
| ~ move | (game) a player's turn to take some action permitted by the rules of the game. |
| ~ starting, start | a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning).; "he got his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the hospital"; "his starting meant that the coach thought he was one of their best linemen" |
| ~ activity | any specific behavior.; "they avoided all recreational activity" |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ innings | the batting turn of a cricket player or team. |
| ~ attack | an offensive move in a sport or game.; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning" |
| ~ down | (American football) a complete play to advance the football.; "you have four downs to gain ten yards" |
| ~ at-bat, bat | (baseball) a turn trying to get a hit.; "he was at bat when it happened"; "he got four hits in four at-bats" |
| ~ lead | the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge.; "the lead was in the dummy" |
| ~ trumping, ruff | (card games) the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit. |
| ~ trick | (card games) in a single round, the sequence of cards played by all the players; the high card is the winner. |
| n. (act) | 15. gambling, gaming, play | the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize).; "his gambling cost him a fortune"; "there was heavy play at the blackjack table" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ sporting life | active interest in gambling on sports events. |
| ~ wager, bet | the act of gambling.; "he did it on a bet" |
| ~ gambling game, game of chance | a game that involves gambling. |
| ~ vice | a specific form of evildoing.; "vice offends the moral standards of the community" |
| ~ throw | casting an object in order to determine an outcome randomly.; "he risked his fortune on a throw of the dice" |
| n. (act) | 16. play, swordplay | the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully. |
| ~ action | something done (usually as opposed to something said).; "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" |
| ~ fencing | the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules). |
| v. (competition) | 17. play | participate in games or sport.; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" |
| ~ compete, vie, contend | compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others. |
| ~ line up | take one's position before a kick-off. |
| ~ curl | play the Scottish game of curling. |
| ~ snooker | leave one's opponent unable to take a direct shot. |
| ~ revoke | fail to follow suit when able and required to do so. |
| ~ develop | move into a strategically more advantageous position.; "develop the rook" |
| ~ develop | move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions.; "Spassky developed quickly" |
| ~ die | to be on base at the end of an inning, of a player. |
| ~ misplay | play wrong or in an unskillful manner. |
| ~ start | play in the starting lineup. |
| ~ fumble | drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder.; "fumble a grounder" |
| ~ volley | make a volley. |
| ~ unblock | play the cards of (a suit) so that the last trick on which a hand can follow suit will be taken by a higher card in the hand of a partner who has the remaining cards of a combined holding. |
| ~ replay | play again.; "We replayed the game"; "replay a point" |
| ~ cricket | play cricket. |
| ~ backstop | act as a backstop. |
| ~ fullback | play the fullback. |
| ~ quarterback | play the quarterback. |
| ~ cradle | run with the stick. |
| ~ exit | lose the lead. |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ play out | play to a finish.; "We have got to play this game out, even thought it is clear that we have last" |
| ~ field | play as a fielder. |
| ~ catch | be the catcher.; "Who is catching?" |
| ~ bully off, face off | start a game by a face-off. |
| ~ tee off | strike a ball from the teeing ground at the start of a hole. |
| ~ ace | play (a hole) in one stroke. |
| ~ complete, nail | complete a pass. |
| ~ gamble | play games for money. |
| ~ walk | give a base on balls to. |
| ~ bowl | engage in the sport of bowling.; "My parents like to bowl on Friday nights" |
| ~ golf | play golf. |
| ~ bandy | toss or strike a ball back and forth. |
| ~ foul | commit a foul; break the rules. |
| ~ put out | retire.; "he was put out at third base on a long throw from left field" |
| ~ croquet | play a game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops. |
| ~ putt | hit a putt.; "he lost because he putted so poorly" |
| ~ seesaw, teeter-totter, teetertotter | ride on a plank. |
| ~ bid, call | make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands.; "He called his trump" |
| v. (social) | 18. play | act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome.; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal" |
| ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
| ~ play | behave in a certain way.; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair" |
| v. (creation) | 19. play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| ~ music | an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner. |
| ~ strike up, sound off | start playing.; "The musicians struck up a tune" |
| ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" |
| ~ spiel, play | replay (as a melody).; "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" |
| ~ swing | play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythm. |
| ~ play | perform music on (a musical instrument).; "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?" |
| ~ symphonise, symphonize | play or sound together, in harmony. |
| ~ play along, accompany, follow | perform an accompaniment to.; "The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano" |
| ~ bow | play on a string instrument with a bow. |
| ~ busk | play music in a public place and solicit money for it.; "three young men were busking in the plaza" |
| v. (creation) | 20. act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ act as, act, play | pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind.; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" |
| ~ make believe, pretend, make | represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like.; "She makes like an actress" |
| ~ re-create | create anew.; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" |
| ~ playact, roleplay, act, play | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| ~ support | play a subordinate role to (another performer).; "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act" |
| ~ play | pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity.; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians" |
| ~ act out, enact, reenact | act out; represent or perform as if in a play.; "She reenacted what had happened earlier that day" |
| ~ act out | represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage.; "She could act neurotic anxiety" |
| ~ impersonate, portray | assume or act the character of.; "She impersonates Madonna"; "The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man" |
| ~ parody | make a spoof of or make fun of. |
| ~ emote | give expression or emotion to, in a stage or movie role. |
| v. (social) | 21. play | be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children.; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" |
| ~ roughhouse | engage in rough or disorderly play. |
| ~ fool around, horse around, arse around, fool | indulge in horseplay.; "Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!"; "The bored children were fooling about" |
| ~ cavort, frisk, frolic, gambol, lark, lark about, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, disport, sport | play boisterously.; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the playroom" |
| ~ recreate, play | engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion.; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike" |
| ~ act | be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure. |
| ~ splash around, dabble, paddle | play in or as if in water, as of small children. |
| v. (creation) | 22. play, spiel | replay (as a melody).; "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" |
| ~ re-create | create anew.; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" |
| ~ riff | play riffs. |
| ~ misplay | play incorrectly, e.g., play a wrong note. |
| ~ fiddle | play on a violin.; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely" |
| ~ play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| ~ replay | play (a melody) again. |
| ~ prelude | play as a prelude. |
| ~ jazz | play something in the style of jazz. |
| ~ rag | play in ragtime.; "rag that old tune" |
| ~ bugle | play on a bugle. |
| ~ reprise, reprize, recapitulate, repeat | repeat an earlier theme of a composition. |
| ~ slur | play smoothly or legato.; "the pianist slurred the most beautiful passage in the sonata" |
| ~ bang out | play loudly.; "They banged out `The star-spangled banner'" |
| ~ modulate | change the key of, in music.; "modulate the melody" |
| ~ tongue | articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments. |
| v. (creation) | 23. play | perform music on (a musical instrument).; "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?" |
| ~ music | musical activity (singing or whistling etc.).; "his music was his central interest" |
| ~ music | an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner. |
| ~ play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| ~ register | manipulate the registers of an organ. |
| ~ skirl | play the bagpipes. |
| ~ beat | produce a rhythm by striking repeatedly.; "beat the drum" |
| ~ tweedle | play negligently on a musical instrument. |
| ~ chord | play chords on (a string instrument). |
| ~ pipe | play on a pipe.; "pipe a tune" |
| ~ drum | play a percussion instrument. |
| ~ harp | play the harp.; "She harped the Saint-Saens beautifully" |
| ~ fiddle | play the violin or fiddle. |
| ~ trumpet | play or blow on the trumpet. |
| ~ clarion | blow the clarion. |
| ~ sound | cause to sound.; "sound the bell"; "sound a certain note" |
| v. (body) | 24. act, act as, play | pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind.; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| ~ act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| v. (motion) | 25. play | move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly.; "The spotlights played on the politicians" |
| ~ go, locomote, move, travel | change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" |
| v. (competition) | 26. play | bet or wager (money).; "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races" |
| ~ gamble | play games for money. |
| ~ underplay | play a card lower than (a held high card). |
| ~ play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| v. (social) | 27. play, recreate | engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion.; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike" |
| ~ play | be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children.; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" |
| v. (creation) | 28. play | pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity.; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians" |
| ~ act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| ~ sham, feign, simulate, assume | make a pretence of.; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep" |
| v. (creation) | 29. play | emit recorded sound.; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered" |
| ~ run, play | cause to emit recorded audio or video.; "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video" |
| ~ sound | give off a certain sound or sounds.; "This record sounds scratchy" |
| v. (creation) | 30. play | perform on a certain location.; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" |
| ~ playact, roleplay, act, play | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| v. (competition) | 31. play | put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" |
| ~ play | employ in a game or in a specific position.; "They played him on first base" |
| ~ play | use or move.; "I had to play my queen" |
| ~ deploy | place troops or weapons in battle formation. |
| ~ pitch | lead (a card) and establish the trump suit. |
| ~ cover | play a higher card than the one previously played.; "Smith covered again" |
| ~ declare | designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand. |
| v. (body) | 32. play, toy | engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously.; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| v. (social) | 33. play | behave in a certain way.; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair" |
| ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
| ~ play | act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome.; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal" |
| v. (creation) | 34. play, run | cause to emit recorded audio or video.; "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video" |
| ~ run | cause to perform.; "run a subject"; "run a process" |
| ~ play | emit recorded sound.; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered" |
| ~ execute, run | carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine.; "Run the dishwasher"; "run a new program on the Mac"; "the computer executed the instruction" |
| v. (contact) | 35. diddle, fiddle, play, toy | manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination.; "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate" |
| ~ manipulate | hold something in one's hands and move it. |
| ~ put out, retire | cause to be out on a fielding play. |
| v. (consumption) | 36. play | use to one's advantage.; "She plays on her clients' emotions" |
| ~ exploit, work | use or manipulate to one's advantage.; "He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy" |
| v. (cognition) | 37. dally, play, trifle | consider not very seriously.; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania" |
| ~ look at, deal, consider, take | take into consideration for exemplifying purposes.; "Take the case of China"; "Consider the following case" |
| ~ dally, toy, flirt, play | behave carelessly or indifferently.; "Play about with a young girl's affection" |
| v. (stative) | 38. play | be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way.; "This speech didn't play well with the American public"; "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee" |
| v. (social) | 39. dally, flirt, play, toy | behave carelessly or indifferently.; "Play about with a young girl's affection" |
| ~ trifle, dally, play | consider not very seriously.; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania" |
| ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
| v. (motion) | 40. play | cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space.; "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack" |
| ~ move, displace | cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense.; "Move those boxes into the corner, please"; "I'm moving my money to another bank"; "The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant" |
| v. (creation) | 41. act, play, playact, roleplay | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| ~ dramatic art, dramaturgy, dramatics, theater, theatre | the art of writing and producing plays. |
| ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" |
| ~ play | perform on a certain location.; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years" |
| ~ play | be performed or presented for public viewing.; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" |
| ~ act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| ~ stooge | act as the stooge.; "His role was to stooge for the popular comedian" |
| ~ pantomime, mime | act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only.; "The acting students mimed eating an apple" |
| ~ ham, ham it up, overact, overplay | exaggerate one's acting. |
| ~ underact, underplay | act (a role) with great restraint. |
| ~ act | be suitable for theatrical performance.; "This scene acts well" |
| v. (creation) | 42. play | be performed or presented for public viewing.; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ debut | appear for the first time in public.; "The new ballet that debuts next months at Covent Garden, is already sold out" |
| ~ playact, roleplay, act, play | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| v. (creation) | 43. bring, make for, play, work, wreak | cause to happen or to occur as a consequence.; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area" |
| ~ create, make | make or cause to be or to become.; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" |
| ~ work, act | have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected.; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water" |
| v. (contact) | 44. play | discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream.; "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day" |
| ~ discharge | pour forth or release.; "discharge liquids" |
| v. (competition) | 45. play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| ~ play | bet or wager (money).; "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races" |
| ~ wager, bet, play | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| ~ wager, bet, play | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| v. (competition) | 46. bet, play, wager | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| ~ gamble | play games for money. |
| ~ bet on, gage, game, stake, punt, back | place a bet on.; "Which horse are you backing?"; "I'm betting on the new horse" |
| ~ play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| ~ play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| ~ raise | bet more than the previous player. |
| ~ see | match or meet.; "I saw the bet of one of my fellow players" |
| v. (competition) | 47. play | shoot or hit in a particular manner.; "She played a good backhand last night" |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ hook | secure with the foot.; "hook the ball" |
| ~ hit | cause to move by striking.; "hit a ball" |
| v. (competition) | 48. play | use or move.; "I had to play my queen" |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ promote | change a pawn for a better piece by advancing it to the eighth row, or change a checker piece for a more valuable piece by moving it to the row closest to your opponent. |
| ~ play | put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" |
| ~ apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize | put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose.; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" |
| v. (competition) | 49. play | employ in a game or in a specific position.; "They played him on first base" |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ play | put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" |
| ~ apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize | put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose.; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" |
| v. (competition) | 50. encounter, meet, play, take on | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ compete, vie, contend | compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others. |
| ~ play | participate in games or sport.; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" |
| ~ confront, face | oppose, as in hostility or a competition.; "You must confront your opponent"; "Jackson faced Smith in the boxing ring"; "The two enemies finally confronted each other" |
| ~ play | employ in a game or in a specific position.; "They played him on first base" |
| ~ play | use or move.; "I had to play my queen" |
| ~ play | shoot or hit in a particular manner.; "She played a good backhand last night" |
| ~ replay | repeat a game against the same opponent.; "Princeton replayed Harvard" |
| v. (body) | 51. play | exhaust by allowing to pull on the line.; "play a hooked fish" |
| ~ exhaust, tucker, tucker out, wash up, beat | wear out completely.; "This kind of work exhausts me"; "I'm beat"; "He was all washed up after the exam" |
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