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
Another key advantage is that the July event title is playing to an ethnically diverse audience.
—
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 July 2025
Newcastle’s tendency to attack quickly on the transition plays to Elanga’s strengths.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The hard rock band recently played to a massive crowd at Wembley Stadium in London in late June.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
More than 95,000 other Fantasy 5 tickets sold in California also won prizes ranging from free plays to $363, the lottery said.
—Don Sweeney
july 8, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 July 2025
Newcastle’s tendency to attack quickly on the transition plays to Elanga’s strengths.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The hard rock band recently played to a massive crowd at Wembley Stadium in London in late June.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
More than 95,000 other Fantasy 5 tickets sold in California also won prizes ranging from free plays to $363, the lottery said.
—Don Sweeney
july 8, Sacbee.com, 8 July 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 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share