at play

释义：一些字典把这个短语定义成与at work相对的“娱乐中”。但更多的时候，尤其是在留学文书里，它的含义是某种因素、力量等在大格局里“起作用”。

例句：
Even though these parents are doing all the right things, our expert says there's another strong factor at play here.
Any idea that hubris was at play in the Darwinian drama is demolished early in the film.