play the part
idiom
: to act the part of (a particular character) in a film, play, etc.
He often plays the part of the villain.
—often used figurativelyI've played the part of (the) devoted wife and mother, and now I want to do something more with my life.
He was playing the part of (the) gracious host.
Examples of play the part in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
McDonald is the first Black actress ever to play the part on Broadway.
—
Dave Quinn, People.com, 27 May 2025
The first Mission: Impossible movie took Peter Graves’ role in the original TV series — Jim Phelps, director of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) — enlisted Jon Voight to play the part, and took him out of the spotlight.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 23 May 2025
The gym, located just south of the Tampa, Fla., airport, offers a stage for the former four-star prospect to play the part of an incoming freshman while still a senior at Berkeley Preparatory School.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 2 May 2025
So, Mulan is forced to play the part of a man — easy enough over email, but when she’s forced to meet in person, the act gets harder to maintain.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play the part
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Dave Quinn, People.com, 27 May 2025
The first Mission: Impossible movie took Peter Graves’ role in the original TV series — Jim Phelps, director of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) — enlisted Jon Voight to play the part, and took him out of the spotlight.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 23 May 2025
The gym, located just south of the Tampa, Fla., airport, offers a stage for the former four-star prospect to play the part of an incoming freshman while still a senior at Berkeley Preparatory School.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 2 May 2025
So, Mulan is forced to play the part of a man — easy enough over email, but when she’s forced to meet in person, the act gets harder to maintain.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play the part
Cite this Entry
“Play the part.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20part. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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