played

past tense of play
1
2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Mahomes played quarterback for Texas Tech before being drafted as the 10th pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025 More recently, Jovovich played the villainous Blood Queen in the 2019 Hellboy reboot. Danny Horn, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 Three times the Eagles have played two games in one day. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025 Mahomes played baseball in high school and is the son of Major League Baseball pitcher Pat Mahomes. Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025 Vampire Weekend will headline, sharing the bill with TV on the Radio, Bloc Party, Empire of the Sun, and, most notably, a reunion of Jenny Lewis’ beloved emo band Rilo Kiley, who haven’t played a show together since 2008. Walden Green, Pitchfork, 27 Jan. 2025 Shinwell meets with Moriarty, who's played by none other than Fresh Off the Boat star Randall Park. Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 The Before trilogy is both one story and three films, following two people, played by the same actors, across decades. Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played
Verb
  • The news came alongside a new teaser, which gives a glimpse of key sequences from the game recreated in live-action.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
  • A number of key moments from the actual event — including the masked terrorist on the balcony — were painstakingly recreated by the team.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Our dashboard How Low Can Stocks Go During A Market Crash shows how key stocks performed during and after the last six market crashes.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The Houston Astros performed major reconstructive surgery on their lineup this offseason.
    Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Veteran hands such as James Carville and David Axelrod have been widely mocked for their less-than-accurate takes.
    Hanna Trudo, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
  • After posting it to social media, she was roundly mocked by online commenters.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Scott Taylor, lead mechanical engineer for manufacturer Lockheed Martin, put the effort in perspective in a 2023 news release.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Although the premium hospitality OVG Hospitality already provides in Las Vegas, Phoenix, London and Abu Dhabi resonated with the Lightning ownership, Granger said that a desire to put a local spin on Amalie’s food and beverage offerings helped win the bid.
    Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee Equal parts city escape and nature retreat, Chattanooga offers tons of activities to keep your group entertained, plus great food and plenty of art.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Newsmax licenses another show that entertained election conspiracies, the Howie Carr Show; its employees are not involved in their production, the lawyers added.
    Maddy Lauria, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In First Steps, Galactus will be portrayed by actor Ralph Ineson (Nosferatu), wearing actual purple-and-blue armor; the costume workshop on set is full of various attempts at making his signature look work.
    EW.com, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In that film, Swank portrayed an up-and-coming boxer who is taken under the wing of an aging coach, played by Clint Eastwood.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This isn't the first time Bader addressed negative comments on her videos.
    Skyler Caruso, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
  • That’s a lot of risk factors for one system, most that cannot be addressed in a simple way.
    Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The infographic itself is not sourced, and does not explain how its author interpreted the relevant data.
    Samantha Riedel, Them, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The move was interpreted as an escalation in Washington's enforcement strategy.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Played.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on played

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!