1- Play a trick
Someone has played a trick on him.
(i.e. Deceived him or gave him a surprise.)

2- Play the innocent
The accused tried to play the innocent in the court.
(i.e. Tried to pretend to be innocent.)

3- Play deaf
I complained about his son but he played deaf.
(i.e. Pretended not to hear anything.)

4- Play at
What the hell is he playing at?
(i.e. Shows anger because you think he is doing something stupid or wrong.)

5- Play a role
The un would play a major role in monitoring a ceasefire.
(i.e. Un would he involved in it and have an effect on it.)

6- Play ball
The association has threatened to withdraw its support if the banks refuse to play ball
(i.e. If the banks are unwilling to do what they are required to do.)

7- Play one's cards right
You can be the next captain of the team if you play your cards right.
(i.e. If you act skilfully and use the advantages that you have.)

8- Play fair
The government is not playing fair, said the opposition leader.
(i.e. Not behaving in a responsible and honest way.)

9- Play second fiddle to
She did not want to play second fiddle to the secretary.
(i.e. Did not want that her position be less important.)

10- Play with fire
Those who are agitating for higher wages are playing with fire.
(i.e. Doing something dangerous.)

11- Play the fool
They used to play the fool together calling each other silly names and giggling.
(i.e. They behaved in a playful, childish and polish way.)

12- Play to the gallery
I must tell you that in my opinion you are now playing to the gallery.
(i.e. Trying to impress people.)

13- Play into someone's hands
You are playing into the hands of your insincere friends.
(i.e. Doing what they want you to do.)

14- Play havoc with
Our corrupt rulers have played havoc with democracy.
(i.e. Have damaged it.)

15- Play host to
The prime minister will play host to the french president.
(i.e. Will act as host to him.)

16- Play safe
If you want to play safe, reduce the intake of salt.
(i.e. If you do not want to take any risk.)

17- Play for time
The president's decision is being seen as an attempt to play for time.
(i.e. He is trying to mark time.)

18- Play traunt
He often plays truant from school.
(i.e. Stays away from school without permission.)

19- Play the system
Accountants know how to play the tax system.
(i.e. Can use the rules cleverly to gain advantages.)

20- Play fast and loose with something
Rulers play fast and loose with people's money.
(i.e. Careless about what they do, not obeying the law.)

21- Play around with
Will you stop playing around with the mobile phone?
(i.e. Stop fiddling with it.)

22- Play along
She felt she had to play along or risk losing her job.
(i.e. To pretend to agree to do what one wants in order to get an advantage.)

23- Play something down
The white house spokesman sought to play down the importance of the event.
(i.e. Tried to lessen the importance of.)

24- Play off
The top two teams will play off at sharja for the world cup.
(i.e. Play the last game in a sports competition.)

25- Play back
I played the tape back.
(i.e. Listened to the sounds or watched the pictures after recording them.)

26- Play down
Both america and pakistan are playing the matter down.
(i.e. Trying to make people believe that it is not particularly important.)

27- Play on
They are playing on the fact that people don't like corrupt rulers.
(i.e. Using the fact to gain an advantage)

28- Play out
The measures taken by the government were played out against a background of rising prices.
(i.e. The measures were taken in a way that seems to have been planned or thought about before.)

29- Play oneself out
The captain of our cricket team has played himself out.
(i.e. Has become weak and no longer useful or important.)

30- Play up
The media played up the prospectus for a settlement.
(i.e. Emphasized it and tried to make people believe that it is important.)

31- Play up to
Politicians often play up to popular opinion.
(i.e. They behave very politely in order to get some advantage.)

32- Play along with
I decided to play along with her idea.
(i.e. Pretended that i agreed with her.)

33- Play dead
I decided it was safer to play dead.
(i.e. To pretend to be dead.)

34- Play off against
She played her two rivals off against each other and got the job herself.
(i.e. Put them in competition with each other and got an advantage for herself .)

35-Make a play for something
She was making a play for the sales manager's job.
(i.e. Trying to become sales manager.)

36-Make great play for something
He made great play of the fact that his uncle was a minister.
(i.e. Emphasized the importance of the particular fact.)

37- A play on words
Humorists often play on words.
(i.e. Make humorous use of words that can have two different meanings.)

Source: Let's Play with "Play"