as in used
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 played (on or upon)
Verb
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For example, Mermentau Cove previously used Mardi Gras funds to construct a pavilion for their graveyard and add flags to veterans' graves.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026 -
The practice was particularly used by patrolling troops during World War II, according to Smith, who has educated himself in the sport’s long history.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The ring allegedly exploited a large-scale humanitarian effort used to ship aid and commercial goods into the shattered enclave.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet venture is increasingly being seen as critical infrastructure that can be targeted or exploited in geopolitical conflicts.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her relationship with her daughter, Caroline Darian, has been especially tense, as Darian felt her mother wasn’t supportive enough of her concerns that she might have been abused by her father.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Dacoda Jones filed the lawsuit on Monday in Dallas County District Court, which alleges that Rice abused her numerous times from December of 2023 through July of 2025.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To that end, Circulose has long leveraged the power of proximity through long-standing relationships with Chinese manufacturing powerhouses.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Feb. 2026
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Out of necessity, the Nina Roza producers leveraged Canada’s European relationships to structure a Canada-Belgium-Bulgaria-Italy co-production.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Both reflect on their experience and say they felt manipulated and vulnerable.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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Do not let our youth be manipulated by agents of chaos into participating in protests, jeopardizing their education and future.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Played (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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