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What is "play off"

Wiktionary
play off

vb. 1 (context transitive English) To pretend to not be embarrassed, upset, impressed(,) or otherwise affected by something. 2 (context sports English) To compete against in a play-off. 3 (context dated English) To display; to show; to put in exercise.

WordNet
play off

v. set into opposition or rivalry; "let them match their best athletes against ours"; "pit a chess player against the Russian champion"; "He plays his two children off against each other" [syn: pit, oppose, match]

Usage examples of "play off".

This ironical leave taking left me stupefied with astonishment, and well I presaged my coming disgrace from the absurd mummery the chancellor had thought fit to play off.

It is as much a boy's business to play off his energies into space as it is for a flower to blow, or a catbird to sing snatches of the tunes of all the other birds.

So he did show it, and that gentleman's opinion was the same as his--that some wag was minded to play off a hoax upon him, and that the matter of the letter was all nothing but smoke.

But no doubt he believed someone else would turn up for him to play off against the central government.