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
Meanwhile The Invite, after playing to great laughs at the Eccles Theatre on Saturday night is 94% fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Around 45 per cent of his shots have come with his head this season, which is up considerably on each of his last five seasons, so this suggests Leeds are playing to his strengths a little better and providing him with good service in the air.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The video segments and special effects always played to the lyrics, strengthening storylines with images that moved between fantastical and rooted in reality.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2026
On conference championship weekend, Rockwall’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and The Colony’s Christian Gonzalez made big plays to help their teams punch their Super Bowl tickets.
—Ishmael Johnson, Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Around 45 per cent of his shots have come with his head this season, which is up considerably on each of his last five seasons, so this suggests Leeds are playing to his strengths a little better and providing him with good service in the air.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The video segments and special effects always played to the lyrics, strengthening storylines with images that moved between fantastical and rooted in reality.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2026
On conference championship weekend, Rockwall’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and The Colony’s Christian Gonzalez made big plays to help their teams punch their Super Bowl tickets.
—Ishmael Johnson, Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
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 29 Jan. 2026.
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