play with

verb

played with; playing with; plays with

Synonyms of play with next

: 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.

: 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!

: 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Dancer/choreographer Kameron Saunders, a University of Missouri-Kansas City alum who toured with Swift on the Eras Tour, attended with his brother, Khalen Saunders, an NFLer who played with the Chiefs from 2019 to 2022. —

Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026 Both teams’ stars came to play with top spot in Group K up for grabs, with the flair and technical quality on display making for a compelling watch with sweeping moves and 37 shots. —

Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Here, Smith and Mason, along with an all-star lineup of design pros, share their top six tips on how to play with aquamarine decor this summer and beyond. —

Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026 He's played with some incredible guards and centers throughout his 10-year career, but none quite like Maxey, Edgecombe and Embiid. —

Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for play with