play around

phrase

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

Players like Sam Bennett or Anton Lundell could slide into his spot as the top line center, while the rumors will swirl whether Florida could play around with their cap space and sign Dylan Larkin from Detroit. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Determine that tools have a potential value-add before giving employees the green light to play around with them. — John Abou, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

The Den, a subterranean hangout just down the stairs, feels like the Platonic ideal of hanging out in your parents’ basement, with plenty of seating and a pool and backgammon table to play around on. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Those seasonings typically include garlic (either fresh garlic or powdered garlic), acid (lime juice or wine vinegar), and oregano, but beyond that, individual restaurants may play around with spices like cumin, paprika, sugar, or even cayenne. — Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 30 July 2026

Rhymes for play around

• aboveground
• battleground
• belowground
• paperbound
• turnaround
• ultrasound
• underground
• wraparound
• abound
• aground
• astound
• background