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
The Blue Devils closed the season with an 8–5 record, riding momentum, strong execution, and clutch plays to an unforgettable championship.
—
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
After Buffalo responded with a field-goal drive, Burrow needed just six plays to go 55 yards and find Tee Higgins for the first of his two touchdown grabs.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
Morse needed just four plays to march 63 yards downfield.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Dec. 2025
Then again, Lucas – who turned 37 on Friday – ripped into his team at halftime on Saturday as Miami and Southern Miss played to a 34-34 draw.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 6 Dec. 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.
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
After Buffalo responded with a field-goal drive, Burrow needed just six plays to go 55 yards and find Tee Higgins for the first of his two touchdown grabs.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
Morse needed just four plays to march 63 yards downfield.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Dec. 2025
Then again, Lucas – who turned 37 on Friday – ripped into his team at halftime on Saturday as Miami and Southern Miss played to a 34-34 draw.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 6 Dec. 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 12 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share