The term 'played charades' refers to a game in which players act out words or phrases in order to get their teammates to guess the answer. The four crossword solutions for this term are 'motioned' (8 letters), 'MIMED' (5 letters), 'ACTED' (5 letters), and 'ACTED out' (8 letters). Motioning involves making gestures with one's hands or body to convey a message, while miming involves using facial expressions and body language to express an idea without speaking. Acting involves taking on a role and speaking lines to portray a character, while acting out involves performing a scene from a play or movie.