play off

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

1. oftentransitiveTo 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).

   Although he's obviously hungover, he's trying to play it off as food poisoning.

   1 more example

   After tripping, Sara tried to play her embarrassment off by laughing with everyone else.

2. transitiveTo 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).

   Stalin's propensity to play off his subordinates against one another is a well-studied theme.

3. intransitivetransitivehobbiesTo compete in a play-off; to compete against (an opponent) in a play-off.
4. datedtransitiveTo display; to show; to put in exercise.

   to play off tricks

   1 more example

   “[A]n’ whin the anlooky brat had thim all in this way whirligiggin’ about the flure, he’d grin an’ he’d chuckle an’ he'd chather, jist fur all the world like Jocko, the monkey, whin he’s played off sum uv his roguery.”

   1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 524