play host to

phrase

: to serve as a host for (someone or something)

Each year, the city plays host to the film festival for one week.

As travel to the Third World has expanded, so, too, has concern about the damage wrought by mass tourism on the people and places that play host to wandering North Americans and Europeans.

—Ira Silver

St. John's meets No. 3-ranked Duke and the Big East rival Miami on the road, and will play host to No. 4 Syracuse, No. 13 Connecticut and surging Seton Hall at the Garden.

—Jon Drape

The grasslands play host to [=provide a home for] long-billed curlews and sage grouse, and eagles, osprey and coyotes scavenge the area.

—Kay Clark

Examples of play host to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tanger centers are places where family and friends can gather, our green spaces play host to everything from yoga classes to food truck rallies to high school battles of the bands. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

Mater Dei opens its season Friday by playing host to American Fork of Utah (1-0) at Santa Ana Stadium. — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2026

Now defunct, the venue, — built in 1963, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation — previously played host to powerboat races and concerts by Queen and Jimmy Buffet, among others. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Ole Miss’s run-up to playing host to Mizzou features dust ups with LSU, Florida and Vanderbilt. — Pj Green august 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for play host to

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue