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

Short-form highlights perform well, so get creative and capture buzzer-beaters, walk-off moments and tune-in-quick plays to engage fans. —Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

The 30-second ad plays to Republicans’ loyalty to President Trump. —Joseph Choi, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025

Auburn snagged the lead back over the next two possessions, and then a bit of a stalemate settled in: The Tigers plugged along, and Clayton kept making ridiculous plays to keep his team on Auburn’s hip. —Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025

If Trump seems to be making headway with Putin, Xi has cards to play to keep Russia in the fold. —Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for play to

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