play to
phrasal verb
played to; playing to; plays to
1
: to behave or perform in a particular way for (someone or something) in order to get approval or attention
He didn't mean what he was saying. He was just playing to the crowd.
He loves publicity and plays to the cameras every chance he gets.
2
: to make use of (something)
a film that plays to stereotypes of housewives
In his latest album, he once again plays to his strengths as a classical musician.
Examples of play to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the Horned Frogs immediately allowed another touchdown as BYU went 75 yards in just four plays to retake the lead 24-3.
—
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Nov. 2025
Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell sacked LaNorris Sellers on consecutive plays to bring up fourth-and-16 with about 90 seconds to go.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
The fountain stammers and falls, motion-activated, playing to the crowd.
—Karl Kirchwey, The New York Review of Books, 13 Nov. 2025
More than 90,000 other Fantasy 5 tickets sold in California also won prizes ranging from free plays to $394, the lottery said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Nov. 2025
Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell sacked LaNorris Sellers on consecutive plays to bring up fourth-and-16 with about 90 seconds to go.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
The fountain stammers and falls, motion-activated, playing to the crowd.
—Karl Kirchwey, The New York Review of Books, 13 Nov. 2025
More than 90,000 other Fantasy 5 tickets sold in California also won prizes ranging from free plays to $394, the lottery said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
Cite this Entry
“Play to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20to. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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