PLAY ON/UPON (SOMETHING)


Meaning of PLAY ON/UPON (SOMETHING) in English

play on/upon something phrasal verb ( see also ↑ play )

to use a feeling, fact, or idea in order to get what you want, often in an unfair way:

The ad plays on our emotions, showing a doctor holding a newborn baby.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.