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

The hum of a peaceful New York City afternoon was broken by chaos Sunday as Washington Square Park played host to a viral Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition. —Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024

The ranking largely plays host to rising talents with viral songs, as well as the latest offerings from current-day pop stars, rappers, and rockers. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

When/where: 6 p.m. Friday at Mesa Ridge Last meeting: Montrose 43, vs. Mesa Ridge 12, Oct. 20, 2023 For the fifth time in six weeks, Mesa Ridge takes on a Post Preps Top 10 team as the Grizzlies play host to a Montrose program looking to win its fourth straight league title. —Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2024

In a behind-the-scenes clip from the forthcoming release, Wu discusses the logistics of playing host to a newborn alien. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above