come into play

come into play

To become a factor in a particular situation. Once personal insults come into play, it's very hard to resolve a situation calmly. My kids usually get cranky as bedtime approaches and tiredness comes into play.
See also: come, play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

come into play

to become an important factor in something; to go into force. All your hard practice and preparation will now come into play in the finals.
See also: come, play
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

come into ˈplay

begin to operate or be active; have an effect or influence: It’s time for the first part of our plan to come into play. A lot of different factors came into play in making this decision.
See also: come, play
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • reality of the situation
  • get down to the facts
  • do the business
  • put a good face on (something)
  • if I was/were in your place
  • if I were in your place
  • take (something) by the throat
  • once-in-a-lifetime situation
  • hairy situation
  • be (not) out of the woods
References in periodicals archive
A number of factors come into play when assessing whether cogeneration makes sense for a particular commercial facility.
"Both the Both IRA and 401(k) plan come into play for retirement planning and tax planning," adds Sard.