playing (upon)

verb

present participle of play (upon)
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)
  1. exploiting
  2. manipulating
Verb
  • While the software flaws have now been found and patches issued, the question remains whether enough of the internet will deploy the patches in time, before hackers start exploiting the vulnerability to attack websites and steal vital data.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The blueprint included the recruitment of mercenaries and exploiting the grievances of disaffected citizens, from religious fanatics and extremists to soccer fans.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of exploiting
Verb
  • She was also seen taking photos and manipulating notebooks on the victim’s desk, the police affidavit said.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Gandhi has alleged that the SIR is an instrument for manipulating elections.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of manipulating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

playing up
playing (upon)
playing (with)
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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 25 Oct. 2026.

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