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Synonyms

make a play for

Idioms  

  1. Try to attract someone's interest, especially romantic interest. For example, Bill has been making a play for Anne, but so far it hasn't gotten him anywhere. [Slang; c. 1900]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The stock has languished since Netflix announced its deal to acquire Warner in early December, and it was trending down even before that simply on rumors that it might make a play for the storied Hollywood studio.

From The Wall Street Journal

Netflix’s Sarandos had told associates that if Warner did go through with spinning off its cable networks, he wanted to make a play for the streaming and studio businesses, according to people familiar with the discussions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Apollo was the latest to make a play for Paramount, getting in line behind Ellison’s Skydance, David Zaslav’s Warner Bros.

From Los Angeles Times

“I figured okay, let’s make a play for Heritage Hunt,” Roem explained.

From Salon

The company based in New York City is the latest to make a play for Paramount, getting in line behind David Zaslav’s Warner Bros.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.