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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By exploiting quantum states that resist thermalization, their new approach converts waste heat into electricity more effectively than conventional methods, surpassing traditional thermodynamic limits.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025 -
Programs like the Black Beauty AI Challenge show there is a path forward where AI works with culture instead of exploiting it.—
Donnetta Monk,
Essence,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There is immense interest in manipulating these phase transformations and retaining superior electro-optic properties down to liquid helium temperature, according to the study published in Advanced Materials.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
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Basically, this discovery could inform future therapeutic strategies aimed at manipulating the gut microbiome for human health.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Oct. 2025
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“Playing (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20%28upon%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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