1
general::
Phrase(s): *in play
1. Lit. [of a ball, in a game] under the effect of the rules of the game. (*Typically: be ~; get back ~; put something back ~.) • The ball is in play again and the activity is furious. • The ball is not in play yet. 2. Fig. [of a company or its stock] in the process of being bought out by another company. (*Typically: be ~; put something ~.) • The company I bought stock in is now in play. • This stock is in play.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
1. In action or operation. For example, A number of conflicting forces were in play, so the outcome was uncertain. It is Also put as bring into play, meaning "to put into action," as in The surprise witness brought new evidence into play. [Mid-1600s] 2. In sports, in a position to be legally or feasibly played, as in The ball is now in play. [Late 1700s] 3. In business, in a position for a possible corporate takeover, as in After a news item said the company was in play, the price of its stock began to rise. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s]
American Heritage Idioms