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.
My knee's been playing up since the weekend.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Means intermittent trouble, not a total breakdown — for that, say 'pack up'.