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

Bukele has toyed with the idea of taking his contentious anti-crime campaign abroad for years, but his current offensive is increasingly seen as a risky bet. — Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

In Homer’s poem, Circe is a beautiful temptress who toys with the soldiers for pleasure. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026

Early tests in other countries suggest Meta is toying with the idea of dropping users directly into full-screen video upon opening the Instagram and Facebook apps. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 8 Nov. 2026

In a press statement, Reaper explained he was inspired to toy with other genres following the release of his 2024 EP, Scorched Earth. — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026