1
as in recreated
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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2
as in performed
to present a portrayal or performance of played Hamlet in the campus production of the classic
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3
as in mocked
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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4
as in lounged
to spend time in aimless activity just played around while we waited for the bus to arrive
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5
as in handled
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently this is how we're going to play the situation
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6
as in put
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 played Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker. —
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026 Suffice it to say that eventually the tale of childhood catches up with the adult Sasha (played by Amy Zimmer), a filmmaker, who attempts to make sense of her past and Jeremy’s fate by undertaking her own investigation, at several decades’ remove. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026 One of those people was David Wiley, who Terry Rose played pool with the night Kim went missing. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026 After appearing in his nephew Christopher Nolan’s 1998 directorial debut Following, the actor also played Wayne Enterprises board member Fredericks in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), as well as Dunkirk (2017). —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026 And those figures are boosted by players who may not hail from power conferences but certainly played for college powerhouses. —Arnie Stapleton, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 This name gained popularity in 1978, not too long after Carrie Fisher played the intergalactic princess. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 11 Apr. 2026 The Current’s still one of the most talented teams in the league, boasting such USWNT veterans as Cooper, Sentnor and LaBonta, along with women who’ve played for other countries — Lorena and midfielder Rocky Rodriguez (Costa Rica), for instance. —Pj Green april 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026 However, Shamir Sterlin (Conference USA All-Freshman team) and Hill (26 career games played) give the Panthers ample experience. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026 Suffice it to say that eventually the tale of childhood catches up with the adult Sasha (played by Amy Zimmer), a filmmaker, who attempts to make sense of her past and Jeremy’s fate by undertaking her own investigation, at several decades’ remove. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026 One of those people was David Wiley, who Terry Rose played pool with the night Kim went missing. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026 After appearing in his nephew Christopher Nolan’s 1998 directorial debut Following, the actor also played Wayne Enterprises board member Fredericks in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), as well as Dunkirk (2017). —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026 And those figures are boosted by players who may not hail from power conferences but certainly played for college powerhouses. —Arnie Stapleton, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 This name gained popularity in 1978, not too long after Carrie Fisher played the intergalactic princess. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 11 Apr. 2026 The Current’s still one of the most talented teams in the league, boasting such USWNT veterans as Cooper, Sentnor and LaBonta, along with women who’ve played for other countries — Lorena and midfielder Rocky Rodriguez (Costa Rica), for instance. —Pj Green april 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026 However, Shamir Sterlin (Conference USA All-Freshman team) and Hill (26 career games played) give the Panthers ample experience. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played
Verb
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They can be recreated at home for weeknight dinner, a fun way to get your kids involved in the kitchen or for a gathering with friends.— Cody Godwin, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
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Through the push and pull of it all, the pair created scores of looks that are still being admired (and occasionally recreated by other royals) today.— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The finding marks the first time a new kind of chemical experiment has been performed on another planet.— Leonard David, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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The device performed well throughout these procedures with no failures or safety issues, allowing researchers to collect complete, high-quality datasets from all eight surgical patients.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
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Szépvölgyi mocked the prime minister, who is 62, for seeming unsteady when boos erupted at one of his recent rallies.— Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
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There, a drag performer mocked the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.— Michael O'Boyle, Bloomberg, 9 Apr. 2026
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Nearby, people and their dogs who had moved into the shelter for the duration of the war lounged on air mattresses, scrolling through their phones.— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
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Just days after hard-launching her relationship with French filmmaker Romain Gavras, EmRata lounged in a plunging plush white robe while wearing nothing but some sparkling loud luxury accessories.— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
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Trump fired Bondi on April 2, reportedly after being unhappy with the way the attorney general had handled issues relating to the Epstein files.— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
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On arrival, guests are paired with a personal local guide–think of it as the hinterland’s answer to a butler—on hand to arrange everything from restaurant bookings to last-minute requests, typically handled with a quick text.— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The noise levels in the arena reached epic proportions as the Hawks put the clamps on the Knicks.— Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 24 Apr. 2026
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Coulombe struck out Austin Wells for the second out, but from there Cora gave the ball to righty Greg Weissert, who allowed the go-ahead two-run pinch hit single to Cody Bellinger and then another RBI single to Judge to put New York ahead 4-2.— Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kimmel himself entertained at the dinner in 2012.— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
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For his great-grandmother's Platinum Jubilee celebration in 2022, Louis entertained the Queen with his big reaction to the Trooping the Colour flypast.— Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All four of the Jewish characters in the play are portrayed by Jewish actors.— David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
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And Michael Jackson’s former manager, John Branca, who also serves as co-executive producer, is laughably portrayed as the film’s white savior.— Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Played.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/played. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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