play with
phrasal verbTo save this word, you'll need to log in.
played with; playing with; plays with
Definition of play 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.
Comments on play with
What made you want to look up play with? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
More Confusing Words—Quiz
- The magician
______moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- More Confusing Words—Quiz
How many of these commonly confused words do you know?
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share play with