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

Nine Cup games, two Prime Video matchups and four free picks to play with. — FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2026

A little fight early in the game just gave them more of a chance to play with their food. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026

Not really, considering the myriad versions that have appeared over the years, which play with regularity on television screens every holiday season. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026

With his son inside, the older Lee Raybon closes his eyes against the neon lights of the gas station and opens them to find kids playing with bubbles, bubbles climbing dreamily skyward. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2026