toy with

phrasal verb

toyed with; toying with; toys with

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

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

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

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

: 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 Rinse and Dry Thoroughly Rinse the toy with clean water to get off the soapy residue. —

Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 July 2024 While Trump and Youngkin have had a fractured relationship, with Youngkin toying with mounting a presidential challenge to Trump and declining to speak at multiple rallies, their joint appearance is intended to signal to Virginians that a unified GOP could flip the state red this November. —

Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 June 2024 After toying with bags a few seasons ago, Rombaut officially launched the category last year, which unleashed a new wave of creativity for the designer. —

Rhonda Richford, WWD, 19 June 2024 Designed to look like a child’s pull toy with a blue cab, black bed and red wooden wheels. —

Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 7 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for toy with

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toy with.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.