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
St. 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
The grasslands play host to [=provide a home for] long-billed curlews and sage grouse, and eagles, osprey and coyotes scavenge the area.Kay Clark

Examples of play host to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Why Not Take Care of Your Kid?' A passenger train plays host to a case of mistaken identity when young, lovelorn newlyweds Deepak Kumar (Sparsh Shrivastava) and Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel) are separated in an accidental spouse swap en route to the former’s village. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024 The Pacific Northwest, which has played host to a series of surly atmospheric rivers and a bomb cyclone in recent days, should finally quiet down, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys told USA TODAY on Sunday as that national weather picture for the holiday grew sharper. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024 Minnesota already has earned a bowl bid and plays host to rival Wisconsin (5-6) for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Black Friday. Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 23 Nov. 2024 The Minnesota Vikings will play host to Indianapolis on Sunday night. Jack Magruder, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for play host to 

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of play host to was in 1837

Cite this Entry

“Play host to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20host%20to. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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