play for

play for

1. To take part (in something) for a specific reason. We're not out here playing for fun—we're here to win! I'd prefer not to play for money, if that's all right.
2. To use something specific as the wager in a game or contest, especially a game of cards. None of us had any money, so we just played for marbles. His gambling addiction had gotten so out of hand that, at one point, he was actually playing a game of poker for the deed to his house.
3. In sports, to be on a particular team or represent a particular city, state, or country. The quarterback said he was excited to be playing for Philadelphia. He's been playing for the Yankees for so long that no one expected him to get traded. It was his dream growing up to play rugby for Ireland.
See also: play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

play for something

 
1. to gamble for something; to use something as the medium of exchange for gaming or gambling. Let's just play for nickels, okay? We will play for dollar bills.
2. to play for a particular reason, other than winning. We are just playing for fun. They are not competing. They are playing for practice.
See also: play
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

play for

1. Take part for a particular reason, as in We're not playing for money, just for fun. A special usage of this idiom is play for laughs, that is, with the aim of arousing laughter.
2. play someone for. Manage someone for one's own ends, make a fool of, dupe or cheat. For example, I resent your playing me for a fool, or He suddenly found out she'd been playing him for a sucker. This usage employs play in the sense of "exhaust a hooked fish," that is, manage it on the line so that it exhausts itself. [Mid-1600s]
See also: play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • cazh
  • while we're young
  • stay clear
  • steer/stay/keep clear
  • link together (with someone or something)
  • leave (someone or something) in the hands of (one)
  • on (the) air
  • on air
  • on the air
  • in the stretch
References in periodicals archive
Five qualities distinguish play for young children from other activities:
To be successful--let them play! (For Parents Particularly)
An audience of mostly African Americans gives off a different energy than a predominantly white audience, and these differences change the experience of the play for both the actors and the spectators.
August Wilson on Playwriting: An Interview
Adaptive play for special needs children: Strategies to enhance communication and learning.
Play therapy for children with physical disabilities
All good teachers and performers know we must cultivate the different kinds of memory--aural, analytical and kinesthetic; we must not neglect to study our music away from the instrument; we must resolve all technical difficulties; and we must play for others as much as possible.
What do you think about when you play?
Both guards will pull for two short jab steps, then whirl back and lead the play for Z.
The Combo Offense: One formation, two offenses. (Football)
The respondents were proficient musicians who, on average, had played their instruments for thirty-six years and continued to play for seven hours per week.
Facilitating flow experiences among musicians