| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| play havoc with |
interfere with, cause sudden changes
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The wind played havoc with the ball, causing it to rise or fall.
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| play hooky |
not attend classes, stay away from school
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One spring day, some of us played hooky. We went fishing.
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| play into his hand |
do as he planned, fall into his trap (see fall into a trap)
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By accepting a ride in Paul's car, you played right into his hand.
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| play it by ear |
play without a plan, improvise, jam
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If our plans fail, we can play it by ear. We'll be creative!
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| play it cool |
be calm, do not become excited, chill out
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If Lisa tells you she's pregnant, play it cool. Don't become angry.
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| play it for all it's worth |
get the most out of it, dramatize it, ham it up
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When Uncle Saul tells a story, he plays it for all it's worth.
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| play it safe |
be careful, do not take a chance
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Play it safe when you go out in a boat. Wear a life jacket.
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| play it up |
act like it is important, make it a big deal
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If there's an argument, he plays it up. He makes it worse.
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| play musical chairs |
move people around but not change the operation,
shuffle the chairs on the deck
|
The government is playing musical chairs again - moving the
the ministers around but not improving anything.
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| play my cards right |
behave in the best way, do the right things
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If you play your cards right at the interview, you should get the job.
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