English Reference
Idiom idiom

rain stopped play


The cessation of an activity or operation due to rain (by analogy with cricket).

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The rain stopped play during our tennis match.

CONTEXTUAL

We were winning the game, but the rain stopped play just before the final set.

COMPLEX

Although the tournament organizers hoped to finish the final round today, the heavy rain stopped play, forcing a postponement until tomorrow morning.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a short drop and a sudden stop

    A fall to one's death by hanging.

  2. 02

    child's play

    Something particularly easy or simple.

  3. 03

    couldn't stop a pig in a passage

    To be bow-legged.

  4. 04

    face that would stop a clock

    A shockingly unattractive face.

  5. 05

    go play in the traffic

    To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; to get lost.

  6. 06

    grandstand play

    A successful play or other manoeuvre during a sporting competition in which one or more players shows off unnecessarily in order to entertain or impress the spectators.

  7. 07

    hold-up play

    A play where an attacker retains possession of the ball, while the teammates can move up the field.

  8. 08

    make it rain

    To bring prosperity or work to an enterprise by selling, inventing or other productive or successful activity.

Last updated August 10, 2026