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

Dortmund played with a relentless intensity, pummelling Barcelona and very, very nearly finding a way to come all the way back. —The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 2 June 2025

After a strong week at a very difficult Erin Hills course, Korda will be playing with plenty of confidence moving forward. —Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025

Phoenix is a combo guard who’s athletic, can attack the basket and play with the ball in his hands. —Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025

Season 4 also sees Jesse’s wife, Amber, played with gentle stoicism by Cassidy Freeman, step into her own, developing a successful couple’s program through the Gemstone church and gently guiding her slowly maturing husband in the right direction. —Carole Horst, Variety, 1 June 2025