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
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, notice how our sense of fairness (and through us, yours) may have been played upon by Trump and his supporters, leading us in this essay to discount the economic performance under Trump in 2020 because of COVID-19.
—
Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
For now, the Dodgers haven’t decided where Betts will play upon his return.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024
Each veteran performer adds some nice texture — as do the members of the ensemble — all played upon the effective scenic design implemented by Williams.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 14 June 2024
During the show, a host — it once was Chris Hardwick — takes a group of three comedians through a rapid-fire series of games that play upon many of the trending digital conversations of the day.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2023
Apparently, the world of UFO experts can be a bitter one, and Nick Pope—who plays upon his image as the ‘Real Fox Mulder’ with numerous media appearances—has attracted criticism.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 19 Sep. 2023
That approach has been honed and amplified under Xi Jinping, China’s leader, who has played upon nationalist sentiments and fears of a dangerous world beyond China’s borders to justify his personal power grab.
—Lillian Yang, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023
The oakmoss, patchouli, and sandalwood balance out the rose aroma and citrusy smell from the bergamot, creating a classic chypre fragrance that plays upon the dichotomy of cool and warm notes.
—ELLE, 25 Apr. 2023
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.
Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
For now, the Dodgers haven’t decided where Betts will play upon his return.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024
Each veteran performer adds some nice texture — as do the members of the ensemble — all played upon the effective scenic design implemented by Williams.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 14 June 2024
During the show, a host — it once was Chris Hardwick — takes a group of three comedians through a rapid-fire series of games that play upon many of the trending digital conversations of the day.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2023
Apparently, the world of UFO experts can be a bitter one, and Nick Pope—who plays upon his image as the ‘Real Fox Mulder’ with numerous media appearances—has attracted criticism.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 19 Sep. 2023
That approach has been honed and amplified under Xi Jinping, China’s leader, who has played upon nationalist sentiments and fears of a dangerous world beyond China’s borders to justify his personal power grab.
—Lillian Yang, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023
The oakmoss, patchouli, and sandalwood balance out the rose aroma and citrusy smell from the bergamot, creating a classic chypre fragrance that plays upon the dichotomy of cool and warm notes.
—ELLE, 25 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near play upon
Cite this Entry
“Play upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20upon. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share