toy with
phrasal 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
The soon-to-be mom of five shared a few clips of Wells playing with a toy with a birthday hat on.
—
Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
In 2018, Mattel reintroduced the toy with updates to the tiny and mighty doll for a new generation.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Russell—toying with the idea of quitting acting for good—jumped coasts.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The Dutch had been amongst the strongest objectors to this tournament being held in Argentina, and had toyed with boycotting the World Cup entirely.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
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Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
In 2018, Mattel reintroduced the toy with updates to the tiny and mighty doll for a new generation.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Russell—toying with the idea of quitting acting for good—jumped coasts.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The Dutch had been amongst the strongest objectors to this tournament being held in Argentina, and had toyed with boycotting the World Cup entirely.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
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 8 Oct. 2025.
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