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
It will be powered be Kalshi, a source close to the matter told CNBC, and is a play to expand asset classes available on the cryptocurrency exchange.
—
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
More than 62,000 other Fantasy 5 tickets sold in California also won prizes ranging from free plays to $500, the lottery said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Washington took over at the BSU 35-yard line and scored in three plays to go ahead by three touchdowns.
—Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 13 Dec. 2025
The late-night mainstay struggled to bottle up O’Connor’s distinct whimsical charms (ones showcased in Emma and The Mastermind, for example) via skits that didn’t play to his strengths as a deft performer, and often didn’t know how to utilize him entirely.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2025
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Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
More than 62,000 other Fantasy 5 tickets sold in California also won prizes ranging from free plays to $500, the lottery said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Washington took over at the BSU 35-yard line and scored in three plays to go ahead by three touchdowns.
—Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 13 Dec. 2025
The late-night mainstay struggled to bottle up O’Connor’s distinct whimsical charms (ones showcased in Emma and The Mastermind, for example) via skits that didn’t play to his strengths as a deft performer, and often didn’t know how to utilize him entirely.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
Cite this Entry
“Play to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20to. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
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