play host to
idiomatic phrase
: to serve as a host for (someone or something)
Each year, the city plays host to the film festival for one week.
As travel to the Third World has expanded, so, too, has concern about the damage wrought by mass tourism on the people and places that play host to wandering North Americans and Europeans.—
Ira Silver
Ira SilverSt. John's meets No. 3-ranked Duke and the Big East rival Miami on the road, and will play host to No. 4 Syracuse, No. 13 Connecticut and surging Seton Hall at the Garden.—Jon Drape
Jon DrapeThe grasslands play host to [=provide a home for] long-billed curlews and sage grouse, and eagles, osprey and coyotes scavenge the area.—Kay Clark
Kay ClarkExamples of play host to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Installed under President John F. Kennedy and modified several times since, the increasingly impressive Situation Room has played host to countless pivotal conversations with global ramifications.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024
The river will also play host to the opening ceremony, in an open-air event that will see athletes floating through a stretch of the French capital in a parade of boats.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for play host to 
Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024
The river will also play host to the opening ceremony, in an open-air event that will see athletes floating through a stretch of the French capital in a parade of boats.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for play host to
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play host to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Play host to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20host%20to. Accessed 4 Jun. 2024.
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