play host to

idiomatic phrase

: to serve as a host for (someone or something)

Each year, the city plays host to the film festival for one week.

As travel to the Third World has expanded, so, too, has concern about the damage wrought by mass tourism on the people and places that play host to wandering North Americans and Europeans.

—Ira Silver

St. John's meets No. 3-ranked Duke and the Big East rival Miami on the road, and will play host to No. 4 Syracuse, No. 13 Connecticut and surging Seton Hall at the Garden.

—Jon Drape

The grasslands play host to [=provide a home for] long-billed curlews and sage grouse, and eagles, osprey and coyotes scavenge the area.

—Kay Clark

Examples of play host to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prior to Friday’s excursion, the first lady played host to children whose parents served and currently serve in branches of the military for a Toys for Tots event on Dec. 13. —Julia Teti, WWD, 23 Dec. 2024

In the basement, a lush private room played host to a wreath-making class on the day of my visit, one of a variety of special offers the store provides. —Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2024

Rumble is a competitor to YouTube, playing host to people like conservative commentators like Dan Bongino, Steven Crowder and Andrew Tate, the journalist Glenn Greenwald, gamer Dr. Disrespect, and Dana White’s Power Slap competitions. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2024

Just beyond property limits, the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean play host to the Ningaloo Reef, a sprawling natural feature that earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status back in 2011. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above