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
In the games, the role was played to great acclaim by Ashley Johnson, who made a cameo in a season 1 flashback as Ellie's mother.
—
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The message has been to play to their individual strengths.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Did playing to an empty Roman amphitheater seem strange to you then?
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
For $25, Karma: The Dark World really does need to be played to be understood — or not understood, as the case often proves — but its weirdness, beauty, and strange approach to puzzles are truly rewarding.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Randall Colburn, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The message has been to play to their individual strengths.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Did playing to an empty Roman amphitheater seem strange to you then?
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
For $25, Karma: The Dark World really does need to be played to be understood — or not understood, as the case often proves — but its weirdness, beauty, and strange approach to puzzles are truly rewarding.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2025.
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