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 play, directed by Tony winner David Cromer, recently made history by becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history, and the first play to surpass a gross of $4 million in a single week. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 May 2025

Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire is bringing a new play to Broadway next season. —Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025

So the Nuggets tried to force him into a rhythm after halftime by calling their first play to generate a 15-footer off the catch. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 May 2025

May 9, 2025 Despite the lack of team drills, Panthers head coach Dave Canales was happy to see McMillan make some plays to begin his rookie tenure at minicamp. —Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2025

Rhymes for play to

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