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

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

Although Taylor has been focused on his solo career, Queen are still toying with how to continue as a band. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

Cho’s co-founder Jason Yeh added that his work has been informed by how much his eight and ten year old daughters yearn for toys with more sophisticated narratives. — Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026