as in exploits
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 plays (upon)
Verb
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The zero-day actually exploits a vulnerability first reported in September 2020, by James Forshaw from the Google Project Zero research team.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026 -
To overcome this, researchers at ETH Zurich used a subtler effect called the geometric phase, which exploits the path taken by atoms through an artificial ‘crystal of light’ built from intersecting laser beams.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Researchers from Doshisha University in Japan have found that the bat does not merely survive this sensory overload, but also actively manipulates its environment to overcome the clutter and locate its prey.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
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Flashbacks are deployed as more than mere framing devices, since the past plays an active, exciting role in the town’s present, and there’s an extended drug trip that skillfully manipulates lapsed time through recurring blackouts to keep you on the edge of your seat.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Plays (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20%28upon%29. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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