Grammar fix
play up
stop working properly
when a device, machine or part of the body keeps causing trouble by not working properly
phrasal verbB2common
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
stop working properly
when a device, machine or part of the body keeps causing trouble by not working properly
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The wifi's playing up again, the video keeps freezing.general
- My knee's been playing up since the weekend.general
Fix the pattern
Pattern: something + is/keeps + playing up
Means intermittent trouble, not a total breakdown — for that, say 'pack up'.
Patternsomething + is/keeps + playing up