Play up to meaning
Play up to is a phrasal verb that means to behave in a calculated way intended to please someone and win favourable treatment.
- Past simple
- played up to
- Past participle
- played up to
- -ing form
- playing up to
What play up to means
B2
To behave in a calculated way intended to please someone and win favourable treatment
He was accused of playing up to senior managers.
Similar phrasal verbs
With play: play on, play around, play at, play with, play along, play around with, play back, play off, play someone/something off against someone/something, play out.
With up: wake up, pick up, grow up, line up, make up, set up, put up, go up, bring up, mess up.
Common questions
What does play up to mean?
To behave in a calculated way intended to please someone and win favourable treatment.
What is the past tense of play up to?
Played up to, which is also its past participle.
Meanings and examples are written by Retite. The meanings follow Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0). Levels are based on the CEFR-J Wordlist and set by Retite.
