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to play on
01
to take advantage of someone's feelings or weaknesses
Transitive: to play on someone's feelings or weaknesses
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Inseparable
Particle
on
Base verb
play
Present tense
play on
3rd person singular
plays on
Present participle
playing on
Past simple
played on
Past participle
played on
Examples
The politician played on the fears of the public to garner support for his policies.
02
to continue playing, especially in sports, games, or performances
Intransitive
Examples
Even after the power outage in the stadium, the players decided to play on.
03
to continue over time
Intransitive
Examples
Even though he tried to distract himself, the guilt of what he had done played on.
