| Plays first, in some card games | 31 |
| Plays first in bridge | 22 |
| Plays first | 11 |
| Plays favorites, perhaps | 24 |
| Plays fast and loose with, as data | 34 |
| Plays eighteen | 14 |
| Plays down, as an issue | 23 |
| Plays down | 10 |
| Plays Double Dutch | 18 |
| Plays dirty, literally | 22 |
| Plays copycat | 13 |
| Plays chuck-a-luck | 18 |
| Plays chords, perhaps | 21 |
| Plays chords, in a way | 22 |
| Plays charades? | 15 |
| Plays charades | 14 |
| Plays catch | 11 |
| Plays cat and mouse | 19 |
| Plays by oneself | 16 |
| Plays by Aristophanes, e.g. | 27 |
| Plays both sides | 16 |
| Plays before the main act | 25 |
| Plays baseball | 14 |
| Plays at quoits | 15 |
| Plays at Pebble Beach | 21 |
| Plays at maximum volume | 23 |
| Plays at love | 13 |
| Plays at high volume | 20 |
| Plays at full volume | 20 |
| Plays at a pond, in a way | 25 |
| Plays around? | 13 |
| Plays April Fools, in Krakow? | 29 |
| Plays April Fools on, in Krakow? | 32 |
| Plays another game of Jenga, say | 32 |
| Plays an oversize piano | 23 |
| Plays an ace? | 13 |
| Plays after some snaps, in brief | 32 |
| Plays accompanied by hayashi | 28 |
| Plays a wrong note, e.g. | 24 |
| Plays a wrong note | 18 |
| Plays a trump card, in bridge | 29 |
| Plays a trump card | 18 |
| Plays a trick on | 16 |
| Plays a tattoo | 14 |
| Plays a sophomoric prank on, informally | 39 |
| Plays a siren | 13 |
| Plays a round | 13 |
| Plays a rope game | 17 |
| Plays a role | 12 |
| Plays a prank on, informally | 28 |
| Plays a practical joke | 22 |
| Plays a powerful card | 21 |
| Plays a platter | 15 |
| Plays a part onstage | 20 |
| Plays a part | 12 |
| Plays a kids' game involving centrifugal force | 50 |
| Plays a kazoo, basically | 24 |
| Plays a hole to its "quota," say | 42 |
| Plays a Halloween prank on, informally | 38 |
| Plays a guitar | 14 |
| Plays a game | 12 |
| Plays a few rounds | 18 |
| Plays a course | 14 |
| Plays a child's game | 24 |
| Plays a campus prank on, informally | 35 |
| Plays a bass? | 13 |
| Plays a bagpipe | 15 |
| Plays 18 holes | 14 |
| Plays (with) | 12 |
| Plays "Wheel of Fortune" | 34 |
| Plays | 5 |
| Playroom toy endorsed by a Beastie Boy? | 39 |
| Playroom threat | 15 |
| Playroom scrapes | 16 |
| Playroom scrape | 15 |
| Playroom pieces | 15 |
| Playroom piece | 14 |
| Playroom locale? | 16 |
| Playroom item, perhaps | 22 |
| Playroom item | 13 |
| Playroom fixtures | 17 |
| Playroom abrasion | 17 |
| Playright Bogosian | 18 |
| Playpen toys | 12 |
| Playpen toy | 11 |
| Playpen player | 14 |
| Playpen pile | 12 |
| Playpen occupant | 16 |
| Playpen items | 13 |
| Playpen item | 12 |
| Playpen crowd | 13 |
| Playpen comments | 16 |
| Playoffs | 8 |
| Playoff survivor | 16 |
| Playoff spots | 13 |
| Playoff setting, sometimes | 26 |
| Playoff setting, perhaps | 24 |
| Playoff setting | 15 |
| Playoff series finale ... or an apt title for this puzzle considering the number and length of its theme entries | 112 |
| Playoff rounds | 14 |