more idioms involving “play”

Play by the rules

To follow standard business procedures or to act fairly

“Review that supplier's contract carefully before signing it, Miura-san. They don't always play by the rules.”

Play games with

To attempt to deceive, confuse or manipulate

“Don't play games with me, Sekine-san, or I will have you fired.”

A level playing field

A competition that is fair to both sides

“Our competitor keeps its prices down with large government subsidies, so we aren't on a level playing field.”

Note: Unfair competition is also called a “tilted playing field.”

See how (something) plays out

To delay action until the results are clear

“Let's stay out of the argument between the sales and marketing teams and just see how it plays out.”

Play along with

To cooperate (or to pretend to cooperate)

“Kazuo-san doesn't agree with the new strategy but said he will play along with it anyway.”