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

The state has toyed with eliminating township government for years. —Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

The roles taken by Burić, the grumpy coach, Romeo, who plays a scary janitor, and Löwensohn, who is the academy’s strict yet maternal manager, allowed Chryssos to toy with sports world tropes. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 May 2026

But where to set such a scene was something Silvers toyed with, thinking of situations where either Caroline couldn’t find Henry or he’s wandered away from home. —Jim Halterman, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

D’Amaro’s predecessor Bob Iger toyed with the idea for more than a decade, even testing a less comprehensive version in the UK. —Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 2 May 2026