as in exploited
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 played (upon)
Verb
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Meanwhile, the lines between exploiter and exploited, powerful and powerless, hero and villain blur in ways that are sometimes satirical, sometimes sad and occasionally thrilling.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026 -
In 2023, the company disclosed that criminals had exploited a flaw in its payment systems to steal about $20 million in corporate funds.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The price of Celsius crypto would go up, but it was being manipulated by those in charge, all as a way to get ordinary citizens to invest.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Figures show crime was already on the decline before, although those figures are being investigated after claims arose against local police that they may have been manipulated.—
Gary Fields,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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“Played (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20%28upon%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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