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

Cherki is unique but plays with a blend of Samir Nasri’s swivel hips and Dimitri Payet’s ball striking. —Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025

What was that like to play with Michael Peña? —Kate Aurthur, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

Run by the The Strong National Museum of Play, the National Toy Hall of Fame highlights toys that kids have played with throughout multiple generations. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 Nov. 2025

Sweeney’s look played with proportions, with the leg-hugging footwear offsetting her oversized ensemble. —Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025