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
On Thursday night, the team lost 114-113 to the Pistons by giving up a four-point play to Jaden Ivey in the final seconds.
—
Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 27 Dec. 2024
Rohan Nadkarni Beautiful drive by the Ravens, who needed only six plays to go 99 yards for their second touchdown of the game.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
Packers need big plays to combat that Minnesota blitz.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
With time on the ball in midfield in the first half, Adams switched play to Bournemouth left fullback Milos Kerkez.
—Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 27 Dec. 2024
Rohan Nadkarni Beautiful drive by the Ravens, who needed only six plays to go 99 yards for their second touchdown of the game.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
Packers need big plays to combat that Minnesota blitz.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
With time on the ball in midfield in the first half, Adams switched play to Bournemouth left fullback Milos Kerkez.
—Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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 5 Jan. 2025.
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