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Synonyms

play up to

Idioms  

  1. Curry favor with, flatter, as in There's no use playing up to the boss; it doesn't influence him. This expression originated about 1800 in the theater, where it meant “to support or assist another actor.” Within a couple of decades it was being used in other venues.

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.

They are aware they could play up to 65 games in all competitions this season, after winning the Club World Cup this summer.

From BBC

“We didn’t play up to par in the trenches,” Skipper said.

From Los Angeles Times

This season there is a record seven international games across five countries and under the NFL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the league can play up to 10 per year.

From BBC

The Rams made no changes in the group from 2024, and they are confident that the late-season addition Forbes will play up to his potential as a former first-round draft pick.

From Los Angeles Times

Inspired by notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, this track from 1980's Blizzard of Ozz allowed Osbourne to play up to his mock-satanic image.

From BBC

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.