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
Reaves tied the score twice, once with a 3-pointer and a floater through contact for a three-point play to knot the score at 90 and 93, respectively.
—
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
For Wood and Orr, the football upgrade in Sacramento nonetheless represents a play to increase enrollment — particularly from out-of-state students that pay higher tuition — and engage a region with almost 3 million residents and limited sports options.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
And so for all their acclaim and popularity, the pieces have been slammed by these critics for playing to ugly tropes.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Rothrock, who subbed in just the eighth minute after Jordan Morris went down with an injury, assisted the Sounders’ opening goal in the 15th minute after a hustle play to keep the ball in play and a cross to Albert Rusnák.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
For Wood and Orr, the football upgrade in Sacramento nonetheless represents a play to increase enrollment — particularly from out-of-state students that pay higher tuition — and engage a region with almost 3 million residents and limited sports options.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
And so for all their acclaim and popularity, the pieces have been slammed by these critics for playing to ugly tropes.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Rothrock, who subbed in just the eighth minute after Jordan Morris went down with an injury, assisted the Sounders’ opening goal in the 15th minute after a hustle play to keep the ball in play and a cross to Albert Rusnák.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2026.
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