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

Investigators determined Jordan and several of his friends had a gun and were playing with it right before the weapon went off, the release states. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2026

Four guards accounted for all but six of USD’s points as the Toreros fell to 11-18 overall and 5-11 in West Coast Conference play with two road games next week to complete the regular season. —Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026

Styled by Sophie Lopez, the look felt like a natural successor to Hudson's other looks this award season, which have played with both boho chic and avant-garde elements in equal measure. —Meg Walters, InStyle, 22 Feb. 2026

The Canes came out with intensity and played with purpose from the opening whistle, and led all but five minutes of the game. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2026