"play off" meaning in All languages combined

See play off on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Forms: plays off [present, singular, third-person], playing off [participle, present], played off [participle, past], played off [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} play off (third-person singular simple present plays off, present participle playing off, simple past and past participle played off)
  1. (transitive, often with as) To portray (something) (as unimportant); to dismiss or make light of (a factor in a situation, or one's embarrassment about it); to pretend not to be embarrassed, upset, impressed, or otherwise affected by (it). Tags: often, transitive
    Sense id: en-play_off-en-verb-NYv7eanc Categories (other): English links with manual fragments, English entries with incorrect language header, English links with manual fragments, English phrasal verbs with particle (off) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 35 35 24 7 Disambiguation of English links with manual fragments: 48 23 19 10 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (off): 34 31 25 10
  2. (transitive) To set (other people) against one another: to induce competition between them, especially in a covert way so that they do not realize the degree to which they have been played (manipulated). Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-play_off-en-verb-EHOamllw Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (off) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 35 35 24 7 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (off): 34 31 25 10
  3. (sports, intransitive, transitive) To compete in a play-off; to compete against (an opponent) in a play-off. Tags: intransitive, transitive Categories (topical): Sports Derived forms: play-off [noun], playoff [noun]
    Sense id: en-play_off-en-verb-OVz3HvhN Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (off) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 35 35 24 7 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (off): 34 31 25 10 Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
  4. (dated, transitive) To display; to show; to put in exercise. Tags: dated, transitive
    Sense id: en-play_off-en-verb-07DWdBOn Categories (other): English phrasal verbs with particle (off) Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (off): 34 31 25 10

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for play off meaning in All languages combined (4.7kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play off (third-person singular simple present plays off, present participle playing off, simple past and past participle played off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English links with manual fragments",
          "parents": [
            "Links with manual fragments",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 35 24 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 23 19 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English links with manual fragments",
          "parents": [
            "Links with manual fragments",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 31 25 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (off)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "After tripping, Sara tried to play her embarrassment off by laughing with everyone else.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Although he's obviously hung over, he's trying to play it off as food poisoning.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To portray (something) (as unimportant); to dismiss or make light of (a factor in a situation, or one's embarrassment about it); to pretend not to be embarrassed, upset, impressed, or otherwise affected by (it)."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_off-en-verb-NYv7eanc",
      "links": [
        [
          "as",
          "as"
        ],
        [
          "portray",
          "portray"
        ],
        [
          "dismiss",
          "dismiss"
        ],
        [
          "make light of",
          "make light of"
        ],
        [
          "embarrassed",
          "embarrassed"
        ],
        [
          "upset",
          "upset"
        ],
        [
          "impressed",
          "impressed"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, often with as) To portray (something) (as unimportant); to dismiss or make light of (a factor in a situation, or one's embarrassment about it); to pretend not to be embarrassed, upset, impressed, or otherwise affected by (it)."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "with as"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "often",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "35 35 24 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 31 25 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (off)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Stalin's propensity to play off his subordinates against one another is a well-studied theme.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To set (other people) against one another: to induce competition between them, especially in a covert way so that they do not realize the degree to which they have been played (manipulated)."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_off-en-verb-EHOamllw",
      "links": [
        [
          "competition",
          "competition"
        ],
        [
          "covert",
          "covert"
        ],
        [
          "manipulate",
          "manipulate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To set (other people) against one another: to induce competition between them, especially in a covert way so that they do not realize the degree to which they have been played (manipulated)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sports",
          "orig": "en:Sports",
          "parents": [
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 35 24 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 31 25 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (off)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "6 11 76 7",
          "tags": [
            "noun"
          ],
          "word": "play-off"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 11 76 7",
          "tags": [
            "noun"
          ],
          "word": "playoff"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To compete in a play-off; to compete against (an opponent) in a play-off."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_off-en-verb-OVz3HvhN",
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "play-off",
          "play-off"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sports, intransitive, transitive) To compete in a play-off; to compete against (an opponent) in a play-off."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "34 31 25 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (off)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to play off tricks",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To display; to show; to put in exercise."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_off-en-verb-07DWdBOn",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dated, transitive) To display; to show; to put in exercise."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play off"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English links with manual fragments",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (off)",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "play-off"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "playoff"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play off (third-person singular simple present plays off, present participle playing off, simple past and past participle played off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English links with manual fragments",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "After tripping, Sara tried to play her embarrassment off by laughing with everyone else.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Although he's obviously hung over, he's trying to play it off as food poisoning.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To portray (something) (as unimportant); to dismiss or make light of (a factor in a situation, or one's embarrassment about it); to pretend not to be embarrassed, upset, impressed, or otherwise affected by (it)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "as",
          "as"
        ],
        [
          "portray",
          "portray"
        ],
        [
          "dismiss",
          "dismiss"
        ],
        [
          "make light of",
          "make light of"
        ],
        [
          "embarrassed",
          "embarrassed"
        ],
        [
          "upset",
          "upset"
        ],
        [
          "impressed",
          "impressed"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, often with as) To portray (something) (as unimportant); to dismiss or make light of (a factor in a situation, or one's embarrassment about it); to pretend not to be embarrassed, upset, impressed, or otherwise affected by (it)."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "with as"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "often",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Stalin's propensity to play off his subordinates against one another is a well-studied theme.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To set (other people) against one another: to induce competition between them, especially in a covert way so that they do not realize the degree to which they have been played (manipulated)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "competition",
          "competition"
        ],
        [
          "covert",
          "covert"
        ],
        [
          "manipulate",
          "manipulate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To set (other people) against one another: to induce competition between them, especially in a covert way so that they do not realize the degree to which they have been played (manipulated)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Sports"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To compete in a play-off; to compete against (an opponent) in a play-off."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "play-off",
          "play-off"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sports, intransitive, transitive) To compete in a play-off; to compete against (an opponent) in a play-off."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to play off tricks",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To display; to show; to put in exercise."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dated, transitive) To display; to show; to put in exercise."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play off"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.