as in used
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 played (on or upon)
Verb
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Two snakes, believed to be cobras, were used in the show, officials said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026 -
Today, the same tools are being used by state actors for geopolitical propaganda.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both of those vulnerabilities were actively exploited in the wild.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Workers put their bodies, livelihoods and lives on the line to oppose employers and governments that exploited physical laborers through inhumane working conditions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jackson and his estate have denied that the pop star abused children.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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The mothers of the victims said Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused sacred traditions.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many hospitals, airports and utility companies hold surplus land that can be leveraged to help address the affordable housing crisis.—
Ryan von Weller,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
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The county expended $19 million of the funds to complete 53 projects protecting more than 1,900 acres and leveraged over $34 million in partnership funds.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gas prices can be manipulated by war, the market or the discretion of how much oil companies want to refine.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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And getting back to the Jewish donors who supposedly manipulated Ferguson’s efforts to block mid-cycle congressional districting.—
Howard Libit,
Baltimore Sun,
3 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Played (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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