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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

play up to

Leading Premier League clubs also compete for as many as four different trophies every season, meaning the best players are asked to play up to 60 games in a single campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025

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 ● Aug. 26, 2025

At first, the character is "uptight, serious, buttoned up", and Dennis has to curb his natural instincts to play up to the crowd.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2024

Telemachus instantly saw how this could be turned to their advantage and he was quick to play up to her.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• appeal to
• attract
• captivate
• charm
• dare
• fascinate
• induce
• intrigue
• invite
• motivate
• persuade
• seduce
• stimulate
• tantalize
• woo