1
as in played
to engage in activity for amusement
the cat toyed with the mouse it had caught, batting it about
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flirted
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
likes to toy with men whom she has no intention of actually dating
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of toyed
Four years later — after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.
—
Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.
—CBS News, 12 May 2026
Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
Nevertheless, he's repeatedly toyed openly about the idea of running again in 2028.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
According to Wolpe, Billie toyed around with the placement of their bush on the terracotta planter in the shape of a woman in a sports bra and ponytail.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.
—CBS News, 12 May 2026
Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
Nevertheless, he's repeatedly toyed openly about the idea of running again in 2028.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
According to Wolpe, Billie toyed around with the placement of their bush on the terracotta planter in the shape of a woman in a sports bra and ponytail.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toyed
Verb
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Chris Sanon, the Orlando area’s leader in sacks a year ago, played well in his move to linebacker from edge rusher.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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He’s only played in four major championships in his career.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Apparently being budgeted in the $70M range, the buzzy project has attracted Matthew McConaughey, Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler and has been flirted with by studios over the years.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
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In 2025, the timing of the Cannes dress code announcement allowed a few rebels to get around the new rules—from Heidi Klum and her dramatic ruffle train to Bella Hadid, whose daring split dress also flirted with the limits imposed by Cannes protocol.—
Blanche Marcel,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Gard said engineers recreated missing technical details and found modern replacements for obsolete parts through extensive problem-solving.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
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The events ask attendees to dress for the occasion and use live actors to bring to life the extravagant sets recreated in various venues.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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There were people who understood and were entertained in a positive way.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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Download educational apps, road trip games or television shows to keep preschoolers entertained and tantrum-free with this kid-friendly Amazon Fire tablet.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toyed. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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