play on words

noun
UK: /pleɪ ɒn ˈwɜːdz/
US: /pleɪ ɑːn ˈwɜːdz/

  1. A humorous way of using words to suggest different meanings, or of using words that sound alike but have different meanings.

    1. The comedian's act included a clever play on words about taxes.
    2. The advertising campaign used a play on words to make their product more memorable for consumers.

Synonyms

pun double entendre wordplay
play on words verb

  1. To use words in a clever and humorous way to suggest different meanings or similar-sounding words.

    1. The author likes to play on words in his novels.
    2. The speaker started to play on words, making the audience laugh with his witty remarks.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "play on words" is /pleɪ ɒn ˈwɜːdz/ in British English and /pleɪ ɑːn ˈwɜːdz/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "play on words": pun, double entendre, wordplay.

Example usage of "play on words": "The comedian's act included a clever play on words about taxes.". More examples on the page.