play on

British  

verb

1. (adverb) to continue to play

2. Also: play upon. (preposition) to exploit or impose upon (the feelings or weakness of another) to one's own advantage

3. (adverb) cricket to hit the ball into one's own wicket

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play on Idioms  

1. Also, play upon. Take advantage of or make use of for a desired effect, as in These health care ads are meant to play on our fears. This idiom uses play in the sense of “performing on an instrument.” Shakespeare used it in Hamlet (3:2): “You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops.” [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

play on

Several plan to play on the DP World Tour next season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

This is a play on a botched conjugation of the Spanish verb 'saber' -- to know -- and is used to indicate Latinos who struggle to speak the language of Miguel de Cervantes.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

For now, plug your wired headphones into your iPhone 6S, press play on the Hamilton soundtrack, and order as many avocado toasts you want.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

In his haunting comeback episode, a man in a "Daft Monk" Halloween costume - a play on music duo Daft Punk - appears to be accidentally killed over and over again by Springfield residents.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Our lunch table was like a long-running play on Broadway: The cast changed over the years, but the roles never did.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

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