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
Walmart, for instance, toyed with direct to consumer fashion brands, buying Bonobos only to change direction and spin off the business.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
The weakest element of Pluribus’s opening episode toys with those ideas.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
The visitors seemed to be toying with them in the Edmonton zone, punctuating their clear edge to that point.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
As this unfolds, the NCAA is also toying with changing its longstanding policy that prohibits college athletes and staff members from betting on professional sports.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
The weakest element of Pluribus’s opening episode toys with those ideas.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
The visitors seemed to be toying with them in the Edmonton zone, punctuating their clear edge to that point.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
As this unfolds, the NCAA is also toying with changing its longstanding policy that prohibits college athletes and staff members from betting on professional sports.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 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 21 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share