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
But the Jets needed just two plays to tie it again.
—
CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
Lincoln needed just three plays to regain the lead, hitting Granite Hills with a 51-yard scoring run by Junior Curtis.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
But after forcing a Valor Christian punt, the Bruins needed just three plays to drive 70 yards for a score on their next possession.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
The stock’s been up as Wall Street starts to see the chipmaker as an ancillary play to Alphabet ‘s growing AI dominance.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
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CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
Lincoln needed just three plays to regain the lead, hitting Granite Hills with a 51-yard scoring run by Junior Curtis.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
But after forcing a Valor Christian punt, the Bruins needed just three plays to drive 70 yards for a score on their next possession.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
The stock’s been up as Wall Street starts to see the chipmaker as an ancillary play to Alphabet ‘s growing AI dominance.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 28 Nov. 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 4 Dec. 2025.
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