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.
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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.
Verb
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But Swedish intelligence recently alleged the country was manipulating economic data and that the true inflation rate could be much higher, perhaps as high as 15%.
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Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.
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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 27 Jun. 2026.
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