as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
the candidate played on the voters' prejudices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play (on or upon)
Verb
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These jangly contradictions, presented as truths, are designed to rattle and rewire our brains; just think how easily a corrupt authoritarian leader could put them to use, and how readily a not-thinking public could fall right in line.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
20 May 2025 -
Educators will have canoes and kayaks, paddles and life jackets to use and will offer instruction.—
Flip Putthoff,
Arkansas Online,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Airlines are making a ridiculous amount of money by selling you the promise of avoiding a middle seat or exploiting your separation anxiety or your claustrophobia.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
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By exploiting Bitcoin arbitrage opportunities, such as price differences between Japan and the U.S., Alameda generated daily profits up to $1 million.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
Verb
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For one, the Fed is unconstrained in its printing of dollars and is therefore more likely to abuse that power in its attempt to stabilize the US economy.—
Korok Ray,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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There are players who abused steroids, served their penalty and are now back in the game.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2025
Verb
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For decades, the company has flourished by leveraging its dominance in insurance and growth in the Medicare market, the U.S. government program that covers medical costs for the elderly.—
Sneha S.K,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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In addition to workspace, many incubators offer mentoring, educational programs, coaching, and introductions to investors, industry executives and other tech ecosystem resources. Carving out time to leverage these offerings can be a potential game changer for founders.—
Karen Cashion,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Life-changing events, including the loss of a spouse, early onset dementia or another medical issue, can trigger changes in the way someone would react to anyone who is experienced at manipulating people to part with their money.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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For instance, prompt injection attacks—a new twist on the traditional prompt injection attack, where malicious prompts manipulate AI behavior—require novel defensive approaches beyond conventional security controls.—
Omar Turner,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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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 22 May. 2025.
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