play off
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.
And how much I wanted the audience to be able to see within the con, and what I wanted to play off perfectly to make the audience feel like they were a little bit tricked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
It doesn’t help that the vice presidents constantly runs down his wife in speeches, comments he tries to play off as jokes, but which are too hard-edged to sell as jovial.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
The portraits play off the novel’s milieu: a series of churches, as well as the medieval French castle that is home to an eccentric and mostly absent prince.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Another one who will be looking at the World Cup and thinking he's got to go - he can play off the left-hand side with Kylian Mbappe for France.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025
He was weary from practice, the constant punishment his body took, the frustration of never getting a play off, never completing a pass, the coach’s sarcasm, the lingering September heat.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
