"Playing off" refers to the act of using a particular circumstance or situation to one's advantage. This phrase can be substituted with a number of different synonyms such as leveraging, capitalizing, exploiting, or using. Leveraging refers to the use of a specific situation or resource to achieve a desired result. Capitalizing denotes taking advantage of an opportunity to gain a benefit. Exploiting indicates the use of a particular situation for selfish gain. Using simply means making use of a certain circumstance to achieve a particular outcome. Overall, when someone is playing off a situation, they are strategically using it to their advantage.