play upon

phrasal verb

played upon; playing upon; plays upon
: to make people do what one wants by using (their emotions, fears, concerns, etc.) in an unfair way
Politicians often win votes by playing upon people's emotions.

Examples of play upon in a Sentence

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These are the doubts that scammers and hackers play upon to ply their trades. — Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2025 Our costumes play upon the idea of peasants making fun of royalty. — Jenny Adams, AFAR Media, 23 Jan. 2025

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“Play upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20upon. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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