ADJ

outdoor
creative, imaginative, pretend

PLAY + NOUN

area
equipment
scheme
The local council runs some good play schemes

PREP

at ~
Children spend hours at play
in ~
I only said it in play (= not seriously)

ADJ

one-act
radio, television
musical
miracle, morality, mystery, nativity, passion
The children always perform a nativity play every Christmas

VERB + PLAY

review
The play is reviewed in most of today's papers

PREP

~ about
a play about teenage runaways

ADJ

excellent, good
fair
dangerous, dirty, foul, rough, violent
He was sent off for foul play

VERB + PLAY

stop
Rain stopped play 40 minutes into the match

PREP

in ~
The ball is still in play
out of ~
He kicked the ball out of play

PHRASES

at close/start of play (in cricket)
At close of play he had scored 38 not out

VERB + PLAY

let sb
The other children wouldn't let him play

PREP

at
Let's play at pirates!
with
a little girl playing with her toys

ADV

brilliantly, excellently, superbly, well
badly

VERB + PLAY

learn to
teach sb to
be difficult to, be easy to
see sb, watch sb

PREP

against
United are difficult to play against
at
I've never played John at tennis
for
He plays for Aston Villa
in
She has played in every match this season
with
playing cards with her mother

ADV

brilliantly, excellently, superbly, well
badly
live
The band will be playing live in the studio

VERB + PLAY

learn to
learning to play the violin
teach sb to
be easy to, be difficult to
a piece that is relatively easy to play
hear sb
Have you ever heard her play?