as in uses
to take unfair advantage of
the candidate played on the voters' prejudices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays (on or upon)
Verb
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Unlike bipedal humanoids, the Onero H1 uses a wheeled base paired with articulated arms, prioritizing stability and dexterity over walking.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026 -
Utah is the first state to more formally test how well AI can assess medical situations through a partnership with health-tech startup Doctronic that uses AI to prescribe refills for patients with chronic conditions, Politico reported.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the film, Victor emotionally abuses the Creature.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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All the while, Tony Award winning director David Cromer (The Band’s Visit) exploits audience suspicion.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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And nobody exploits a flaw quite like a cornered Shanahan.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An onboard synthesizer manipulates a small set of core sounds to mimic everything from the roar of a jet plane to the flushing of a toilet through a little speaker in the Brick.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Jan. 2026
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Vecna psychically finds Hopper (David Harbour) and manipulates him to break the tank, cutting off the psychic link for her, Kali, and Max.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The project leverages a circular economy model, which IonicRE has already demonstrated through its operational capabilities in the United Kingdom.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Jan. 2026
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Its turnaround is driven by the agility of its business model and diversified portfolio, which leverages the core know-how while staying closely aligned with global market trends.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
19 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Plays (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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