play with
phrasal verb
played with; playing with; plays with
1
: to move or handle (something) with one's hands or fingers often without thinking
Stop playing with that pen and pay attention to what I'm saying.
2
: to handle, change, or deal with (something) in a careless way
I played with the radio for a while but couldn't get it to work.
It's important to teach your children not to play with guns/fire/matches.
Don't play with my heart/emotions.
You have to take this seriously. You're playing with people's lives!
3
: to think about (something) briefly and not very seriously
I played with the idea of moving to Chicago but ended up staying in New York.
Examples of play with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are also fun cameo appearances from celebs including Bella Freud, Ben Whishaw and Luca Guadagnino, who model the clothes or play with the crafty objects.
—
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
However, investors should keep in mind this is essentially a leveraged Solana play with corporate overhead.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Liz Thomas, head of investment strategy at online bank and finance platform SoFi, thinks the Fed might be playing with fire.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Mike, now played with a friendly glower by the bald and barrel-chested Chiklis, is a construction-site foreman, married for decades to Eileen (Mary Stuart Masterson), with several grown children.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play with
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Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
However, investors should keep in mind this is essentially a leveraged Solana play with corporate overhead.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Liz Thomas, head of investment strategy at online bank and finance platform SoFi, thinks the Fed might be playing with fire.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Mike, now played with a friendly glower by the bald and barrel-chested Chiklis, is a construction-site foreman, married for decades to Eileen (Mary Stuart Masterson), with several grown children.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play with
Cite this Entry
“Play with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20with. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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