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
Fernandes had gone to the sidelines at a break in play to tell Amorim that Martinez was low on energy.
—
Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Give people tasks that play to their talents and passions.
—Terina Allen, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Unlike in their meeting in Charlotte five days earlier, the Hornets didn’t make the requisite plays to close it out, unraveling despite hanging with — and leading — the Suns for the better part of night in the desert, allowing Phoenix to rip off a game-ending 19-5 spurt.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2025
Then Beverly Hills coach Jarvis Turner heard that Loyola wanted to play to help players move forward.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for play to 
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Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Give people tasks that play to their talents and passions.
—Terina Allen, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Unlike in their meeting in Charlotte five days earlier, the Hornets didn’t make the requisite plays to close it out, unraveling despite hanging with — and leading — the Suns for the better part of night in the desert, allowing Phoenix to rip off a game-ending 19-5 spurt.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2025
Then Beverly Hills coach Jarvis Turner heard that Loyola wanted to play to help players move forward.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for play to
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 19 Jan. 2025.
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