toy with
phrasal verb
toyed with; toying with; toys with
1
: to think about (something) briefly and not very seriously
I toyed with the idea of moving to France but ended up staying here.
2
: to move or touch (something) with one's fingers often without thinking
She toyed with her hair while she talked on the phone.
3
: to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way
Do you really love me, or are you just toying with me?
Don't toy with my emotions.
Examples of toy with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thankfully, once the tennis balls stopped bouncing off the floor, Mackenzie said her dog turned a corner, embracing her favorite toy with open paws.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Trump's push for rate cuts Trump has called for Powell's resignation and even toyed with the legally questionable idea of firing him.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 30 July 2025
Of course, this goes horribly wrong, as the Mule starts mocking Toran, toying with him and even peeling off the skin of Toran’s hand like Pilou Asbæk is back in Euron Greyjoy mode.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 25 July 2025
He’s clearly excited by the possibilities of the tech, slowly toying with other AI genres like chill-hop and ambient.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
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Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Trump's push for rate cuts Trump has called for Powell's resignation and even toyed with the legally questionable idea of firing him.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 30 July 2025
Of course, this goes horribly wrong, as the Mule starts mocking Toran, toying with him and even peeling off the skin of Toran’s hand like Pilou Asbæk is back in Euron Greyjoy mode.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 25 July 2025
He’s clearly excited by the possibilities of the tech, slowly toying with other AI genres like chill-hop and ambient.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
Cite this Entry
“Toy with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toy%20with. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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