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

From then on, Real Madrid toyed with Dortmund, who never seemed capable of getting back into the game. —Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

But instead of sharing the good news right away, Levy toyed with her a bit before officially offering her the job. —Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 2 July 2025

Shirting ranged from classic fits to oversized, and toyed with house codes in an asymmetric tank. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 25 June 2025

The 14-year-old also was into cars, Garcia told the outlet, which reported — citing police — that Alejandro was carrying Hot Wheels toys with him when he was killed. —Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025