play upon
Advanced (C1) formal
To use someone's feelings or a word's double meaning to get an effect — a more old-fashioned way of saying 'play on.'
"The demagogue played upon the crowd's deepest anxieties to win their support."
To use someone's feelings or a word's double meaning to get an effect — a more old-fashioned way of saying 'play on.'
"The demagogue played upon the crowd's deepest anxieties to win their support."