as in to exploit
to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means
played upon the customer's vanity to convince her to buy the expensive makeup kit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play (upon)
Verb
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Unlike earlier tanks with thicker armor and larger guns, the Type 100 employs active defense interceptors, photoelectric sensors, and remote weapon stations to counter threats from modern anti-tank missiles and drones, which often exploit vulnerabilities on the top of armored vehicles.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025 -
So why wouldn’t AI systems, trained to maximize engagement, exploit those same buttons?—
Avital Pardo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When writers see and manipulate structure, words become poetry.—
Rebecca Coffey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cyrus was quick to defend herself, implying her words had been manipulated by the Times.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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“Play (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20%28upon%29. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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