play on

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

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

The Scottish bonds have been nicknamed "kilts" – a play on the word gilt, which refers to bonds issued by the UK government.

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Although he prefers to play on the right, Johnson has played up front, but Oxford United's Mark Harris - without a goal in 29 games for club and country - started as the centre-forward.

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"Sometimes the slower guys are almost harder to play on those wickets where you have to make the pace, but yeah, we'll wait and see, won't we?"

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Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is the first choice to play on the right, with either Newcastle's Anthony Gordon or Barcelona's Marcus Rashford on the left.

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For most U.S. investors, Cognex is the purest and most accessible play on the rise of machine vision.

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Related Words

• adopt 
• apply 
• employ 
• handle 
• manage 
• operate 
• practice 
• run 
• spend 
• utilize 
• wield 
• work