play tricks
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The thin, autumnal light continued to play tricks on me, forming islands in the sea that disappeared with the next passing cloud.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
I had no idea the mind could play tricks on you over five years of a descent into madness, like I experienced.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2023
"The dripping water, the rats, the echoes and the shadows can make your mind play tricks when you are alone in here at night," says Jamie.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2022
She’s never sought to play tricks on her audience, she told me, correcting a common misconception about her work; Kuriki-Olivo approaches everything she devises from a place of sincerity.
From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2021
Miguel thought it was a poltergeist, a sort of mischievous spirit that liked to play tricks on the living.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
