toy with

verb

toyed with; toying with; toys with

1

: to think about (something) briefly and not very seriously

I toyed with the idea of moving to France but ended up staying here.

2

: to move or touch (something) with one's fingers often without thinking

She toyed with her hair while she talked on the phone.

3

: to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way

Do you really love me, or are you just toying with me?

Don't toy with my emotions.

Examples of toy with in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dragon-scale rings and gothic spinner bands blend the tactile satisfaction of a fidget toy with jewelry that reads as a statement piece. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 2026

According to Mundy, the room initially toyed with the idea of killing off Sheriff Kerry. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026

At another point on the pop spectrum, artists are toying with the conception of rock music in the popular imagination. — Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026

Set against the backdrop of Hollywood and the pleasure ground of Palm Springs, Mailer’s roman à clef follows a war hero who toys with selling his life story to the movies. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Aug. 2026