play to
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
But there also are other elements of the revision that play to the very essence of the Heat anti-tank approach, an approach in place since Riley’s 1995 arrival as franchise steward.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Today, drummers have to play to click tracks.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The sides played to a controversial 1-1 draw.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
And Burick’s classes aim to play to those strengths.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
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Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Today, drummers have to play to click tracks.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The sides played to a controversial 1-1 draw.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
And Burick’s classes aim to play to those strengths.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
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 1 May. 2026.
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