play to

phrasal verb

played to; playing to; plays to

: 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.

: 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

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The show, a limited engagement at the Marquis Theater starring Sean Astin and Grey Henson, played to 95 percent capacity and brought in $800,000 more than the prior week. —

Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024 Body camera footage from Clark's device was played to verify her testimony, drawing tears from several spectators in the courtroom. —

Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Dec. 2024 Both trends play to Morgan Stanley’s strength in investment banking. —

Paulina Likos, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2024 These teams last met in October, playing to a 0-0 draw despite Monterrey taking 16 shots to Pumas' eight shots. —

Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for play to