play on
Third Person
plays on
Present Participle
playing on
Past Tense
played on
Past Participle
played on
1
to take advantage of someone's feelings or weaknesses
transitive
- The politician played on the fears of the public to garner support for his policies.
- The film played on our emotions, using touching flashbacks and heartwarming moments.
- Scammers often play on the elderly's trust and lack of tech knowledge to deceive them.
- The motivational speaker played on the audience's desire for success to sell his books and courses.
- The charity commercial played on viewers' compassion by showing heart-wrenching images of those in need.
2
to continue playing, especially in sports, games, or performances
- Even after the power outage in the stadium, the players decided to play on.
- Despite twisting his ankle, the determined athlete decided to play on for the rest of the match.
- The children were told their playtime was over, but they begged to play on for just a few more minutes.
- The basketball player received a minor injury, but after a quick assessment, he decided to play on for the remainder of the game.
- The musician broke a string on stage but, showing his professionalism, decided to play on with the remaining strings.
3
to continue over time
- Even though he tried to distract himself, the guilt of what he had done played on.
- She thought she'd forgotten that embarrassing moment, but it played on in her memory for years.
- The influence of that one meeting played on, guiding his career choices for years.
- Though she'd moved to a new city, the culture and traditions of her hometown played on in her daily life.