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

The former Heat center recently was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Chinese Basketball Association for his play with the Shanghai Sharks, becoming the first import player ever to take the honor. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026

The most secure legacy played with the most desperation. —Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026

Jake Middleton moved up to play with his former partner in Spurgeon on the second pair, and Petry played with Bogosian, who played on his off side. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 May 2026

Maybe the Knicks played with their food for the first three games of this series before deciding to barbecue the Hawks in Game 4. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026