Meaning & use
playing the long game
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiomfigurativeapproving
Choosing to work patiently towards a larger benefit that will come much later, instead of seeking quick wins now.
Grammar: Verb changes with tense; the rest is fixed: she is playing the long game.
Patterns
- play the long game
- be playing the long game
She turned down the quick sale because she was playing the long game.
The company lost money for years, playing the long game to dominate the market.
If you want a strong reputation, you have to play the long game.
Word forms
| base form | play the long game |
|---|---|
| past tense | played the long game |
Common combinations
- play the long game
- Smart investors play the long game.
- a patient long game
- He is playing a patient long game with his career.
- thinking about the long game
- Stop thinking about this week and think about the long game.
- in it for the long game
- We are in it for the long game, not a quick profit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- take the long view
- Take the long view is more formal and mostly about judging, while playing the long game suggests actively acting on a plan.
- be patient
- Be patient names only the waiting, but playing the long game implies a deliberate strategy.
- plan ahead
- Plan ahead is general, whereas playing the long game stresses giving up short-term gain.
Opposites
Word family
- long-term adjective
- lasting or planned for a long period
- long-range adjective
- relating to the distant future or distance
- short-sighted adjective
- ignoring future results
- strategist noun
- a person who plans how to reach a goal
Commonly confused: playing the long game or playing games?
playing the long game vs playing games
Playing games means behaving dishonestly or not seriously, which is different from patient planning.
Practice
A shop owner keeps prices low and loses money this year to win loyal customers later. What is she doing?
Choose one answer.
Playing the long game means accepting a short-term cost for a bigger later benefit. Playing for time means delaying, and playing it by ear means improvising.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “playing the long game”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.