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 sides played to a wild 3-3 draw at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
—
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2024
However, Holland's work as Spider-Man played to his advantage, as the officers were fans of his work.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Today, films are often played to reach the broadest possible audience, and in doing so turn down the eroticism, or are cornered into becoming a genre film, like a war movie or a science-fiction movie.
—Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
Their first show, infamously if not verifiably, was played to a single banana slug.
—Brad Sanders, SPIN, 10 Apr. 2024
Hepburn and Grant play to their respective strengths, while the film transitions from silly to serious and back again.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Four decades after their heyday, Journey still plays to packed arenas around the world.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
And while embracing being a dirtbag is a beloved way to endure this reality, the identity has always subtly played to the interests of the people who increasingly run these towns.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
The portrait that emerged is of a man who spent years searching for a career that would play to his strengths, including fluency in Japanese and English — and, with little scrutiny, landed that role with the right man at the right time.
—Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2024
However, Holland's work as Spider-Man played to his advantage, as the officers were fans of his work.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Today, films are often played to reach the broadest possible audience, and in doing so turn down the eroticism, or are cornered into becoming a genre film, like a war movie or a science-fiction movie.
—Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
Their first show, infamously if not verifiably, was played to a single banana slug.
—Brad Sanders, SPIN, 10 Apr. 2024
Hepburn and Grant play to their respective strengths, while the film transitions from silly to serious and back again.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Four decades after their heyday, Journey still plays to packed arenas around the world.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
And while embracing being a dirtbag is a beloved way to endure this reality, the identity has always subtly played to the interests of the people who increasingly run these towns.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
The portrait that emerged is of a man who spent years searching for a career that would play to his strengths, including fluency in Japanese and English — and, with little scrutiny, landed that role with the right man at the right time.
—Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 30 Apr. 2024.
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