play with

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

Havekes’s redesign plays with perception of space through color—and consequently eliminates the often anonymous neutrality typical of many new buildings. — Valentina Lonati, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2026

Smith will now be playing with a better offensive line, but his consistency and processing issues when facing heavy pressure play into Saleh’s scheme. — Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Pink shirt + white pants Last but not least, a classy-chic outfit that plays with sculptural volumes. — Emma Bocchi, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026

To help Michigan finish stronger in the fourth quarter, Whittingham recently ended practice with the starting offense and defense on the field for 14 consecutive plays with no substitutions to simulate a long drive. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026