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

Now, nine months into fatherhood, Brown is able to walk without issue and play with his daughter. —Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025

But in most cases, kids are just playing with language and enjoying the hype. —Annabelle Canela, Parents, 26 Sep. 2025

The Eagles have been playing with fire for weeks now, including eking out a one-point win over Legacy last week. —Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025

The people in your life should be played with. —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025