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
Making the leads play to sloppy Boomer and Gen Z stereotypes is a slight to everyone involved, including the audience.
—
Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
Fantasy managers should play to their strengths in approaching the volatile category.
—Greg Jewett, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
The show played to 100 percent capacity throughout its run.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
The firm’s latest thematic play to find value, spearheaded by Andrew, is in distressed real estate.
—Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play to
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Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
Fantasy managers should play to their strengths in approaching the volatile category.
—Greg Jewett, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
The show played to 100 percent capacity throughout its run.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
The firm’s latest thematic play to find value, spearheaded by Andrew, is in distressed real estate.
—Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes, 16 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 2025.
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