play up to

Idioms and Phrases

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

Bayern could play up to 64 games this season, and again many of their players will also feature in national team games on top of that figure.

From BBC

“There were some matches in the Olympics where I felt like we didn’t play up to our standard, or played our system as well as we could have,” Budinger said.

From Los Angeles Times

“We didn’t play up to our standard,” he said of last season.

From Los Angeles Times

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

He has appeared in three Kraken games as well and can play up to five more this season, after which the first year of three on his entry level contract would be burned and he would be closer to restricted free agency.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

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