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
Vanderbilt played to a 5-5 tie during its only appearance in Austin, and Texas is 0-4 as an away team in this series.
—
Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The over-the-top global outing that kicked off in June 2023 in Bolton, England and wrapped up on Monday (Nov. 18) in Orlando played to more than 3.6 million people and grossed nearly $470 million.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2024
That day at the park, not so long ago, the ground
played to dust beneath our feet.
—Annie Liontas, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
While the Sharks played to their identity at times earlier on their homestand, the bigger and more experienced Wild took them out of their game.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The over-the-top global outing that kicked off in June 2023 in Bolton, England and wrapped up on Monday (Nov. 18) in Orlando played to more than 3.6 million people and grossed nearly $470 million.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2024
That day at the park, not so long ago, the ground
played to dust beneath our feet.
—Annie Liontas, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
While the Sharks played to their identity at times earlier on their homestand, the bigger and more experienced Wild took them out of their game.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 2024.
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