play on

verb

1. adverb to continue to play
2. Alsoplay 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

Shows that play on the app will be available for free on Amazon’s Prime Video service even if a viewer does not pay for a subscription.

From Los Angeles Times

"But it's a huge honour. Every time that I come back and play on this tour, I'm proud to be a member and proud to support it as much as I can. If I was to win the Race to Dubai for a sixth time, that would be a really cool achievement."

From BBC

A white-haired lady wanders Richard Neutra’s landmark midcentury house in Silver Lake at night, when she suddenly encounters a mountain lion calmly purring — and a grand piano in the room begins to play, on its own, Philip Glass’ “Mad Rush.”

From Los Angeles Times

David Coote, the on-field referee, had waved play on following the incident but awarded a penalty after reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

From BBC

After first going to the police in August 2021, Kira emailed the FA, Premier League and the club about her allegations the following month "in desperation", as she was worried about him continuing to play on such a big platform while he was being investigated.

From BBC

Related Words

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