play around
phrasal verb·2 senses·particle around
Meanings
Experiment in a casual way
Why “around”? Here 'around' means moving from spot to spot to look, search, or try things.
“Play around with the settings.”
“Play around with the colours before saving.”
“He played around with the recipe until it tasted right.”
Have casual romantic or sexual affairs
Why “around”? Activity continues without a clear direction, purpose, or commitment.
“He's been playing around behind her back.”
“She found out he had been playing around.”
Don't confuse with
Play around means experiment in a casual way. Play back means replay a recording.
Test yourself
“Play around with the settings.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
play back
A contrast learners often mix up
Replay a recording
dick around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Waste time doing nothing useful (informal, sometimes rude)
fool around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Behave in a silly or playful way; Have casual romantic or sexual relationships
hang around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Stay nearby without a purpose; Stay in a place without doing much; Spend time with a person or group regularly
lie around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Be left unused in plain sight
look around
Same around pattern: search
Look at all parts of a place or view; Visit a place to see what is there, especially before deciding to buy
lounge around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Pass time in a relaxed sprawl
mess around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Spend time in a careless or playful way; Treat someone unfairly or unreliably
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