exploit
To treat someone or something unfairly to get a benefit for yourself.
To make use of someone or something in an unfair or selfish way, often for personal gain.
To use something well so you get a good result.
To make full and effective use of a resource, opportunity, or situation.
An exciting or important thing someone does that needs skill or courage.
A brave, notable, or successful act, often involving skill or courage.
- Base: exploit
- Plural: exploits
- Base: exploit
- 3rd Person Singular: exploits
- Present Participle: exploiting
- Past: exploited
exploit a loophole
1Use legal gap for advantage
To use a small mistake or gap in rules or laws to get an advantage.
- The company exploited a loophole in tax law to save millions.
- He exploited a loophole in the contract to leave early.
exploit a loophole
1Use a rule gap
to use a weakness in a rule to do something that the rule was probably meant to prevent
- Several companies exploited a loophole in the law to avoid reporting their emissions.
- The app exploited a loophole in the platform's privacy rules.
- He was criticized for exploiting a loophole instead of following the spirit of the agreement.
- They exploited a loophole in the rules.
exploit someone's weakness
1Take advantage of vulnerability
To use something a person cannot do well or is bad at to get an advantage over them.
- The chess player exploited her opponent's weakness in endgames.
- They exploited his lack of experience during negotiations.