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
Drew Allar had a chance to come back and win the game, but threw an interception on the Nittany Lions' first play to end the game.
—
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Malawian striker Tabitha Chawinga pounced, outrunning a PSG defender and holding up the play to await support from her colleagues.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The Galaxy repeatedly got behind that group, and used the same patterns of play to get the same type of chances.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
Bell converted on a key fourth-down play to help keep the undefeated season going.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Malawian striker Tabitha Chawinga pounced, outrunning a PSG defender and holding up the play to await support from her colleagues.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The Galaxy repeatedly got behind that group, and used the same patterns of play to get the same type of chances.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
Bell converted on a key fourth-down play to help keep the undefeated season going.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 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 30 Sep. 2025.
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