When someone says, “Don’t play dumb with me,” they’re telling you not to pretend to be ignorant or unaware of something. It’s another way of saying “don’t pretend you don’t know” or “stop acting like you’re clueless.”
Here are two examples in sentences:
Example 1:
When John tried to deny knowing about the broken vase, his mother said, “Don’t play dumb with me. I know you were in the room when it happened.”
Example 2:
Sarah was frustrated when her colleague pretended not to understand the project, so she said, “Don’t play dumb with me. We’ve discussed this several times.”
Now, let’s see two examples in a conversation:
Example 3:
Mike: Hey, Emma! I don’t know how these papers got misplaced.
Emma: Mike, don’t play dumb with me. You were the last one to use them.
Example 4:
Lisa: Hi, Ben! I don’t know who left the door unlocked.
Ben: Lisa, don’t play dumb with me. I saw you leave last.
In summary, the phrase “Don’t play dumb with me” is used when someone wants to tell another person to stop pretending they don’t know or understand something. It’s a way of expressing frustration with someone’s pretended ignorance.
