at play
idiom
1
: in the act of playing
the sounds of children at play
2
: being something that helps produce or influence a result
Several issues are at play in determining the price of gasoline.
Examples of at play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the case of the momentum of corporate sustainability in the past five years, there is good reason to believe an element of memetic isomorphism has been at play.
—
Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
That said, a generally slowing job market may mean that final dynamic is less at play this time around.
—Dan Burns, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Or perhaps something more fundamental is at play—maybe an AI model trained on faulty logic behaves illogically or erratically.
—Ars Technica, 26 Feb. 2025
Kramer, by comparison, reveals a greater awareness of the political mechanics at play, and the place his movie occupies, by touching on how the pain of hostage families can be weaponized.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
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Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
That said, a generally slowing job market may mean that final dynamic is less at play this time around.
—Dan Burns, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Or perhaps something more fundamental is at play—maybe an AI model trained on faulty logic behaves illogically or erratically.
—Ars Technica, 26 Feb. 2025
Kramer, by comparison, reveals a greater awareness of the political mechanics at play, and the place his movie occupies, by touching on how the pain of hostage families can be weaponized.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at play
Cite this Entry
“At play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20play. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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