come into play

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to start to have an effect or become relevant

Why this phrase?

From sport, where a ball 'comes into play'; figuratively means 'becomes relevant'.

Example

“Other factors come into play when the weather turns bad.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

get the show on the road Informal · CEFR B2

to begin a project or activity that has been delayed

actions speak louder than words Neutral · CEFR B1

What you do matters more than what you say.

back to basics Neutral · CEFR B1

returning to the simple, fundamental principles of an activity

from scratch Informal · CEFR B1

from the very beginning, without using anything prepared earlier

get the ball rolling Informal · CEFR B1

To start an activity or process.

in the early days Neutral · CEFR B1

during the beginning stages of something

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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