grandstand play
Americannoun
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an ostentatious play, as in a sport, overemphasized deliberately to elicit applause from spectators.
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any action or attempt designed to win approval or to make a strong impression.
His going to work on Christmas was another of his grandstand plays.
Etymology
Origin of grandstand play
An Americanism dating back to 1890–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This isn’t a grandstand play on my part; I’ve discovered—and you can see it in other entertainers—when they don’t reach out to the audience, nothing happens.
From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2012
Was France preparing a grandstand play to show the power of the French franc by causing a great withdrawal of gold from New York?
From Time Magazine Archive
Last week, still ailing and still talking of retirement, the 73-year-old Premier launched a desperate grandstand play to prolong his political life.
From Time Magazine Archive
It was this grandstand play which made Dick Whitney president of the Exchange next year.
From Time Magazine Archive
Finally, however, he decided on a grandstand play.
From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 13 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers by Elbert Hubbard
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
