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
The musical still played to more than 100 percent capacity and brought in $1.1 million across seven performances, but made about $416,000 less than the prior week.
—
Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Chalamet’s delivery here is hilarious, recalling Def Comedy Jam, and playing to the audience.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 26 Jan. 2025
The Biden administration, along with other governments in the G7, instituted a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil exports shipped by sea in 2022 -- a play to eat into Moscow's profits while avoiding an energy crisis.
—ABC News, 25 Jan. 2025
He’s got touch on the puck, regularly beating defenders one-on-one and feathering passes through them when there isn’t an individual play to be made.
—Scott Wheeler, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for play to 
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Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Chalamet’s delivery here is hilarious, recalling Def Comedy Jam, and playing to the audience.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 26 Jan. 2025
The Biden administration, along with other governments in the G7, instituted a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil exports shipped by sea in 2022 -- a play to eat into Moscow's profits while avoiding an energy crisis.
—ABC News, 25 Jan. 2025
He’s got touch on the puck, regularly beating defenders one-on-one and feathering passes through them when there isn’t an individual play to be made.
—Scott Wheeler, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for play to
Dictionary Entries Near play to
Cite this Entry
“Play to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20to. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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