as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
the candidate played on the voters' prejudices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play (on or upon)
Verb
-
Mangione handed arriving officers a fake New Jersey ID that was used at the New York City hostel days earlier and was subsequently arrested.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025 -
Start today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+taxes and fees) through May 13, 2025.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Next-Gen Anti-Ransomware Protection—Preemptive And Resilient Security Despite AV and EDR advancements, modern ransomware tactics—including encryption bypass and stealthy execution—continue to exploit gaps in endpoint defenses.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Mina is surprised that Sade isn’t more eager to exploit her weekend out of jail, but Sade relishes the freedom to just be.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The ways in which these attackers have abused Google’s email system clearly needs to be patched.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Donald Trump is abusing the levers of government to launch an attack against New York Attorney General Tish James on what seem to be pretty flimsy claims of fraud.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and about 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Advertise services on neighborhood apps like Nextdoor, distribute flyers at local pet stores, and leverage family connections for initial clients.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
It could be manipulated by the therapist or simply placed in the correct position by the individual.—
Matt Parrott,
Arkansas Online,
20 Apr. 2025
-
This is not a new accusation and in the past Fauci and the paper authors disagreed with the accusations that the paper was manipulated or had any specific goal.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Play (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share