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
Lynn quickly relays information about the upcoming play to Stephens during games, then the linebacker repeats it to his teammates.
—
Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
That aspect of Staub’s game was on display against Delaware, when audibles to a go route at the line of scrimmage led to a pair of big plays to wideout Sincere Brown.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
Stripe plays to its strengths with developers and startups.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
And then Notre Dame held its collective breath, hoping Gillis played to the crowd, just not too much for a Catholic school where Touchdown Jesus watches over the stadium.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
That aspect of Staub’s game was on display against Delaware, when audibles to a go route at the line of scrimmage led to a pair of big plays to wideout Sincere Brown.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
Stripe plays to its strengths with developers and startups.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
And then Notre Dame held its collective breath, hoping Gillis played to the crowd, just not too much for a Catholic school where Touchdown Jesus watches over the stadium.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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