Thesaurus results for PLAYING (UPON)

playing (upon)

verb

present participle of play (upon)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing (upon)

Verb

While the software flaws have now been found and patches issued, the question remains whether enough of the internet will deploy the patches in time, before hackers start exploiting the vulnerability to attack websites and steal vital data.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
The blueprint included the recruitment of mercenaries and exploiting the grievances of disaffected citizens, from religious fanatics and extremists to soccer fans.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of exploiting

Verb

This gave the team control over the motor’s movement without physically manipulating it.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
The 18-year-old is suspected of manipulating an Indiana teen over a social platform into harming herself and taking her own life, according to prosecutors in Germany.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of manipulating

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

playing up

playing (upon)

playing (with)

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“Playing (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20%28upon%29. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of playing (upon)

verb

Example Sentences

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