1 PHRASAL VERB [no passive] 对…敷衍了事；儿戏似地做 If you say that someone is playing at something, you disapprove of the fact that they are doing it casually and not very seriously. 对…敷衍了事；儿戏似地做 [disapproval]
2 PHRASAL VERB [no passive] （尤指儿童）假扮…玩，玩…游戏 If someone, especially a child, plays at being someone or doing something, they pretend to be that person or do that thing as a game. （尤指儿童）假扮…玩，玩…游戏
3 PHRASAL VERB 搞…名堂；想…念头 If you do not know what someone is playing at, you do not understand what they are doing or what they are trying to achieve. 搞…名堂；想…念头 [informal]
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She began to wonder what he was playing at. [VERB PREP.]
她开始纳闷他在搞什么鬼。
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'What do you think you're playing at?' he said. 'I can't sell this.' [VERB PREP.]
“你以为你在动什么念头？”他说，“我不能卖掉这个。”