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

Heading into the midterm elections next year, two of the nation’s largest states are toying with some of these irresponsible policies. —Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025

The blazer of the look toyed with angles and harsh lines, from the slanted hip pockets to the sinuous and sharp lapels. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 18 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