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
-
Researchers have described humans as highly omnivorous, exploiting a wide range of plant, animal and fungal foods across environments as disparate as the Arctic tundra and equatorial rainforest.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026 -
Traditionally, the oldest fires are believed to be the result of exploiting natural fires.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The ever-expanding, replicating, and manipulating series of rooms take scraps and memories of those who pass through it, expanding into something that defies personality or ease.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Uribe sued Cepeda for allegedly manipulating witnesses, but the Supreme Court cleared Cepeda of wrongdoing.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
1 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 9 Jun. 2026.
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