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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On Wednesday, police in Seattle used pepper spray to clear out protesters, and officers in Denver used smoke and pepper balls to control a crowd.—
Krysta Fauria,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025 -
Could breeze through the low-minors using just his fastball, but secondary stuff needs work to reach his potential, and focus on development of those pitches will likely slow down his development and lead to more mixed results in some outings.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Whether climate denial, corporate lobbying or inequitable wealth distribution, our systems often reward those who can exploit the system without regard for their impact on long-term system health.—
Maureen Metcalf,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Only in these areas will humanitarian aid be provided—by an American company under direct Israeli security arrangements—to avoid previous distribution arrangements that were exploited by Hamas.—
Assaf Orion,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Three-time gold medal sprinter Gabby Thomas was verbally abused at a track meet in Philadelphia, not the first harassment this year.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2025
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Smart was subjected to daily rapes and often abused and starved throughout her 9-month ordeal.—
Stephanie Kaloi,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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So, to not leverage that in a new HD release to the same degree as G-Darius HD, if not more so, feels like a lost opportunity.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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The company can’t even leverage its AI features as a differentiator there, since ChatGPT integration had to be stripped from Chinese iPhones to comply with local regulations.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Not possessed of any special abilities, Achebe instead manipulates his ways into political power in Wakanda.—
Michileen Martin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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Deepfakes are manipulated images, audio recordings, or videos of real people that have been altered with artificial intelligence to misrepresent someone as saying or doing something that the person did not actually say or do.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
6 June 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 16 Jun. 2025.
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