as in exploiting
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 playing (upon)
Verb
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The team says its approach offers a new way to tune these light sources by exploiting the unique layered structure of hBN, a material that can be repeatedly separated, twisted, and reassembled.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026 -
Daniel Emilio Rodriguez, 35, of Sanford, recorded himself raping, molesting and exploiting the girl over the course of two years and also masturbated in front of her and a 10-year-old male relative, prosecutors say.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.—
Matt Motta,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
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What online scammers are looking to steal The FBI issued a warning last month that cybercriminals are manipulating or reproducing the official FIFA World Cup website to scam fans who are looking for tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise, streaming access and betting opportunities.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Playing (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20%28upon%29. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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