play games

verb

To deceive; to lie about one's intentions.

“Stop playing games with me and tell me the truth.”

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Meanings

verbplay games (third-person singular simple present plays games, present participle playing games, simple past and past participle played games)

present singular third person plays games · participle present playing games · participle past played games · past played games

  1. idiomaticTo deceive; to lie about one's intentions.

    Stop playing games with me and tell me the truth.

    1 more example

    "Accusing Governor Carey of playing games with taxpayers in his $12.7 billion budget, the Senate majority leader, Warren M. Anderson of Binghamton, said today that it would face rough sledding, in the Republican led State Senate." - New York Times, 1979

Translations

Bulgarian играя игрички, въртя номера
  • играя игрички (igraja igrički)idiomatic: to deceive
  • въртя номера (vărtja nomera)idiomatic: to deceive
Cite this entry
APA

play games. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20games

MLA

“play games.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20games. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “play games,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20games.

Source: play games on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.