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

Cast as Pocahontas, Wednesday uses the play to enact a terrific revenge on not just the Up with People-esque campers, but the pilgrims themselves. —Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025

Cranston and Essiedu convey a father-son bond of unusual closeness — hugging, play-fighting, joshing; but this physical proximity will be repeated at the end of the play to devastatingly different effect. —Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025

Use area rugs in high-traffic areas like entryways or in spaces where kids and pets play to prevent scratches. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025

How do the new regulations for the 2026 season play to the strengths of Williams? —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for play to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou