as in to use
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 play (on or upon)
Verb
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The participants didn’t use snorkels or fins but instead held their breath while diving deep into the ocean, often off La Jolla.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 July 2025 -
How will Nashville's geology impact construction of the Music City Loop? To cut through the limestone and hard rock beneath Nashville, The Boring Company will use Prufrock tunnel boring machines (TBMs), which rely on rotating disc cutters and high thrust to excavate solid formations.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Microsoft said its analysis showed that Chinese hackers were exploiting SharePoint weaknesses as early as July 7.—
Renee Dudley,
ProPublica,
1 Aug. 2025
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In many instances, the legitimate owner is unaware that their addresses are being exploited.—
Vincentas Grinius,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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According to prosecutors, Maxwell helped Jeffrey Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse minor girls from about 1994 to about 2004, including girls as young as 14 years old.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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At the time of her death, Sardinha was studying to become a counselor with the hope of working with women who had been abused, her mother told Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Leversen.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Can Nigeria leverage its Olympic successes to secure a historic fifth crown?—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Philippines Seeking Deal: Trump is set to meet at the White House with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, who is seeking to leverage his country’s close relationship with the United States to secure a more favorable trade deal.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Fast-forward to this month, when Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement to move past Trump's claims that CBS's 60 Minutes deceptively manipulated a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
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The Dershowitz theory does not compute because the government invariably manipulates projections about future harm for ulterior partisan or personal motives.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
24 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Play (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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