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Noun playing has 3 senses
  1. playing - the act of playing a musical instrument
    --1 is a kind of     musical performance
    --1 has particulars: bowing; piping; stopping; transposition
    Derived forms: verb play3, verb play7, verb play6
  2. playing - the action of taking part in a game or sport or other recreation
    --2 is a kind of     action
    --2 has particulars: bowling; catching; golfing; pitching
    Derived forms: verb play5, verb play11, verb play34, verb play1, verb play16
  3. acting, playing, playacting, performing - the performance of a part or role in a drama
    --3 is a kind of activity; performing arts
    --3 is a part of performance
    --3 has particulars:
     portrayal, characterization, enactment, personation; impersonation, personation; mime, pantomime, dumb show; business, stage business, byplay; skit; hamming, overacting; heroics; roleplaying
    Derived forms: verb play25, verb play4
,Verb play has 35 senses
  1. play - participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
    --1 is one way to     compete, vie, contend
    Derived forms: noun play9, noun play3, noun player4, noun player1, noun playing2
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s
    Somebody ----s something
  2. 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"
    --2 is one way to     act, move
    Derived forms: noun play6, noun play5
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s something
    Something ----s something
  3. play - play on an instrument; "The band played all night long"
    --3 is one way to     perform
    Derived forms: noun player2, noun playing1
    Sample sentence:
    Sam and Sue play
  4. 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"
    --4 is one way to re-create
    Derived forms: noun play2, noun play1, noun player3, noun playing3
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s
    Somebody ----s something
    Somebody ----s somebody
  5. 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"
    --5 is one way to     act
    Derived forms: noun play14, noun play8, noun playing2
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s
  6. play, spiel - replay (as a melody); "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully"
    --6 is one way to re-create
    Derived form: noun playing1
    Sample sentence:
    They will play the duet
  7. play - perform music on (a musical instrument); "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"
    --7 is one way to     sound
    Derived form: noun playing1
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  8. act, play, act as - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad"
    --8 is one way to act, behave, do
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s somebody
  9. play - move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly; "The spotlights played on the politicians"
    --9 is one way to     travel, go, move, locomote
    Derived form: noun play11
    Sample sentence:
    Something is ----ing PP
  10. play - bet or wager (money); "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"
    --10 is one way to     gamble
    Derived form: noun play15
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  11. play, recreate - engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike"
    Derived forms: noun play14, noun playing2
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s
  12. 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"
    --12 is one way to     simulate, assume, sham, feign
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s something
    Somebody ----s somebody
    Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
  13. play - emit recorded sound; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"
    --13 is one way to     sound
    Sample sentences:
    Something ----s
    Something ----s something
  14. play - perform on a certain location; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years"
    --14 is one way to     perform
    Derived forms: noun play2, noun play1
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  15. 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"
    --15 is one way to     deploy
    Derived form: noun play15
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  16. 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 stockmarket"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
    --16 is one way to act, behave, do
    Derived form: noun playing2
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  17. play - behave in a certain way; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair"
    --17 is one way to     act, move
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s
    Something ----s something Adjective/Noun
    Somebody ----s Adjective
  18. play, run - cause to emit recorded sounds; "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "Can you play my favorite record?"
    Sample sentence:
    Sam and Sue play the movie
  19. toy, fiddle, diddle, play - 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"
    --19 is one way to manipulate
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s PP
  20. play - use to one's advantage; "She plays on her clients' emotions"
    --20 is one way to     exploit, work
    Derived form: noun play4
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s PP
  21. dally, trifle, play - consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
    --21 is one way to consider, take, deal, look at
    Sample sentence:
    Sam wants to play with Sue
  22. 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"
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s
  23. dally, toy, play, flirt - behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection"
    --23 is one way to act, move
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s
    Somebody ----s PP
  24. play - cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space; "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
    --24 is one way to     move, displace
    Derived form: noun play13
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s something
    Something ----s something
  25. act, play, roleplay, playact - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'"
    --25 is one way to perform
    Derived forms: noun play2, noun play1, noun player3, noun playing3
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s
  26. play - be performed; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years"
    Derived forms: noun play1, noun play2
    Sample sentences:
    Something ----s
    Something is ----ing PP
  27. bring, work, play, wreak, make for - 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"
    --27 is one way to make, create
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s something
    Something ----s something
  28. 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"
    --28 is one way to     discharge
    Sample sentences:
    Something ----s
    Somebody ----s something
  29. play - make bets; "Play the reaces"; "play the casinos in Trouville"
    --29 is one way to     bet, wager, play
    Derived form: noun play15
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  30. bet, wager, play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse"
    --30 is one way to gamble
    Derived form: noun play15
    Sample sentences:
    Somebody ----s
    Somebody ----s something
  31. play - shoot or hit in a particular manner; "She played a good backhand last night"
    --31 is one way to     hit
    Derived form: noun play4
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  32. play - use or move; "I had to play my queen"
    --32 is one way to     use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ
    Derived form: noun play3
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
  33. play - employ in a game or in a specific position; "They played him on first base"
    --33 is one way to     use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ
    Derived form: noun play3
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s somebody
  34. meet, encounter, play, take on - contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary"
    Derived forms: noun play9, noun playing2
    Sample sentences:
    Sam and Sue play
    Sam cannot play Sue
  35. play - exhaust by allowing to pull on the line; "play a hooked fish"
    --35 is one way to     exhaust, wash up, beat, tucker, tucker out
    Sample sentence:
    Somebody ----s something
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