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
There really isn’t a roadmap – only the discipline to play to your strengths, uncomplicate your path, and keep showing up every day.
—
Dennis Woodside, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
That was an example of how Sunderland elected to play to their own strengths, rather than fearing Chelsea’s.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Most viewers expected play to resume immediately after the emotional moment.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2025
After forcing a Carlsbad punt, LCC needed nine plays to go 67 yards with Herman scoring again from 3 yards out.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dennis Woodside, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
That was an example of how Sunderland elected to play to their own strengths, rather than fearing Chelsea’s.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Most viewers expected play to resume immediately after the emotional moment.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2025
After forcing a Carlsbad punt, LCC needed nine plays to go 67 yards with Herman scoring again from 3 yards out.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share