play to

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

Stramel has good hands, creates a lot of havoc and chances around the net and has enough puck play to have secondary offense at the next level. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

He was also criticized for micromanaging military operations, which at times, did play to his strengths such as organizing the surprise Kursk operation. — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

If Mahomes had been in shotgun in the second quarter, an off-script play to Allen would be the story. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Each of them has played to mind-bending graphics, which extend all the way above you. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for play to

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