Play someone/something off against someone/something meaning
Play someone/something off against someone/something is a phrasal verb that means to encourage people or groups to compete or argue so that you gain an advantage.
- Past simple
- played someone/
something off against someone/ something - Past participle
- played someone/
something off against someone/ something - -ing form
- playing someone/
something off against someone/ something
What play someone/something off against someone/something means
B2
To encourage people or groups to compete or argue so that you gain an advantage
The buyer played the two suppliers off against each other.
Similar phrasal verbs
With play: play on, play around, play at, play with, play along, play around with, play back, play off, play out, play up.
With off: turn off, take off, cut off, go off, put off, break off, keep off, start off, tick off, get off.
Common questions
What does play someone/something off against someone/something mean?
To encourage people or groups to compete or argue so that you gain an advantage.
What is the past tense of play someone/something off against someone/something?
Played someone/something off against someone/something, which is also its past participle.
Meanings and examples are written by Retite. The meanings follow Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0). Levels are based on the CEFR-J Wordlist and set by Retite.
