play around

idiom

1
: to have sex with someone who is not one's husband, wife, or regular partner
He's not the kind of guy who plays around.
often + on
She's been playing around on her husband.
often + with
She's been playing around with one of her coworkers.
2
: to deal with or treat something in a careless way
When it comes to protecting his family, he doesn't play around.
often + with
You can't play around with diabetes; it's a very serious disease.
3
: to use or do something in a way that is not very serious
It's time to stop playing around and get busy.
often + on
I spent the evening playing around on the piano/computer/Internet.
often + with
I'm not really a painter; I just like to play around with paints.
4
: to move or change something or to think about something in different ways often in order to find out what would work best
+ with
I see you've been playing around with the living room furniture again.
The supervisor played around with our work schedules this week.
We played around with the idea for a while but eventually realized that it just wouldn't work.

Examples of play around 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.
That was a really interesting thing to play around with. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 26 June 2025 Meet Me in the Solarium WWDC typically includes the introduction of Apple's next-gen operating systems, so developers have a few months to play around with them before a formal launch in the fall. Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 9 June 2025 Use these pickles to play around with the flavor palate for your next appetizer spread. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 16 June 2025 Some high-proof bourbons can be intense straight from the bottle, so don’t be afraid to play around with dilution. Emily Price, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for play around

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Cite this Entry

“Play around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20around. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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