play upon
Present Participle
playing upon
Past Tense
played upon
Past Participle
played upon
1
to take advantage of someone's feelings, fears, or weaknesses
- They played upon the superstitions of the villagers to keep them away from the forest.
- She played upon his guilt to make him agree to her demands.
- The magician played upon the crowd's curiosity to hold their attention.
- The movie played upon the common fears of isolation and abandonment.
- Marketers sometimes play upon the desire for status and recognition in luxury campaigns.