play up to 迎合；拍马屁；讨好；支持...

【例句】
Did you think the professor's pun was genuinely funny or did you laugh just to play up to him?
你认为教授的双关语确实好笑呢，还是你发笑只是为了迎合他？

Students who too obviously play up to their teachers are usually disliked by their classmates.
过分明显向老师献殷勤的学生通常为其同窗所憎恶。