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
In the 10th minute, McKennie, Dest and Freeman toyed with them on the right side.
—
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 20 June 2026
The self-aware series pokes fun at the teenage superhero subgenre, toying with the way superpowers interfere with daily life.
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
Many of the ideas the series toyed with, from conspiracy theories and internet pile-ons to rapidly evolving conversations around gender and identity, have since migrated from the fringes into everyday discourse.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
He’s constitutionally barred from running again, yet constantly toys with the notion.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for toy with
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Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 20 June 2026
The self-aware series pokes fun at the teenage superhero subgenre, toying with the way superpowers interfere with daily life.
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
Many of the ideas the series toyed with, from conspiracy theories and internet pile-ons to rapidly evolving conversations around gender and identity, have since migrated from the fringes into everyday discourse.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
He’s constitutionally barred from running again, yet constantly toys with the notion.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for toy with
Cite this Entry
“Toy with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toy%20with. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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