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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This includes patching existing vulnerabilities and making sure that the permissions employees have are strictly limited so they can’t be exploited.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026 -
The question is whether billion-dollar industries should be free to use every psychological trick available to encourage and exploit addiction.—
Carla Gennaro,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There are seeds to grab, and in some cases, a team could essentially manipulate how their side of the bracket sorts itself out.—
Tim Reynolds,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
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The case would also require testimony, which meant that at least one of Bateman’s wives needed to realize she was being manipulated and abused.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Play (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20%28upon%29. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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