play the game

play the game (third-person singular simple present plays the game, present participle playing the game, simple past and past participle played the game)

1. To behave fairly; to abide by the rules.

   Synonym: play by the rules

   • 1892, Henry Newbolt, Vitaï Lampada:

     And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat, / Or the selfish hope of a season's fame, / But his captain's hand on his shoulder smote / "Play up! play up! and play the game!"

   • 1979 December 1, Ron Vachon, quoting Bernice Goodman, “Homosexuality: Changing Clinical Perspectives”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 19, page 3:

     Myth #5— Acceptance and participation in the mainstream of society is automatically desirable. In order to be accepted you may have to compromise important personal values because average middle-American values are most important. You have to "play the game".

• play ball

• “play the game”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “play the game”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “play the game” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “play the game”, in Collins English Dictionary.