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
Ira SilverSt. 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
Jon DrapeThe grasslands play host to [=provide a home for] long-billed curlews and sage grouse, and eagles, osprey and coyotes scavenge the area.—Kay Clark
Kay ClarkExamples of play host to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The big marquee matchup is Aug. 21, when Scottsdale Christian plays host to Pima.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 17 Aug. 2025
The Rams will play host to the Chargers in a preseason game on Saturday at SoFi Stadium, the second of three for the Rams and the third of four for the Chargers.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
In 2024, Emporia State played host to the 4A, 5A and 6A high school state title games; Hutchinson Community College played host to Class 1A, 2A and 3A and Greensburg-Kiowa County High School 8-man Div.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
Mare Crisium can be spotted as a dark oval to the northeast of the lunar surface, while Mare Tranquillitatis (the Sea of Tranquility) — which plays host to the Apollo 11 landing site — is located to its left, bordered to the north by Mare Serenitatis (the Sea of Serenity).
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play host to
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Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 17 Aug. 2025
The Rams will play host to the Chargers in a preseason game on Saturday at SoFi Stadium, the second of three for the Rams and the third of four for the Chargers.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
In 2024, Emporia State played host to the 4A, 5A and 6A high school state title games; Hutchinson Community College played host to Class 1A, 2A and 3A and Greensburg-Kiowa County High School 8-man Div.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
Mare Crisium can be spotted as a dark oval to the northeast of the lunar surface, while Mare Tranquillitatis (the Sea of Tranquility) — which plays host to the Apollo 11 landing site — is located to its left, bordered to the north by Mare Serenitatis (the Sea of Serenity).
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play host to
Cite this Entry
“Play host to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20host%20to. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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