PLAY A JOKE ON

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does play a joke on mean? 

• PLAY A JOKE ON (verb)
  The verb PLAY A JOKE ON has 2 senses:

1. subject to a playful hoax or joke

2. deceive somebody

  Familiarity information: PLAY A JOKE ON used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLAY A JOKE ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Subject to a playful hoax or joke

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

hoax; play a joke on; pull someone's leg

Hypernyms (to "play a joke on" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Deceive somebody

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

flim-flam; fob; fox; play a joke on; play a trick on; play tricks; pull a fast one on; trick

Context example:

We tricked the teacher into thinking that class would be cancelled next week

Hypernyms (to "play a joke on" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "play a joke on"):

snooker (fool or dupe)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody