1
as in playing
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 flirting
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toying
The bill is the result of six years of studying and toying around the edges of PBM issues.
—
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 9 Apr. 2025
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 9 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toying
Verb
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Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun was also found guilty Thursday of playing a major role in the insurrection and sentenced to 30 years in prison.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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On a frigid night recently, about a dozen people arrived at the Evanston Public Library to try playing a new game created by Steven Franconeri, a Northwestern University psychology professor.—
Jeff Banowetz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sunday morning will be in the 30s and flirting with the freezing line for some of the outer counties.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
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The 20-foot walls are hung salon-style with gilt frames surrounding oil paintings flirting at once with modernism and Renaissance styles.—
Jane Wooldridge,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And reimagining the story rather than faithfully recreating it might be the right strategy.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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Experts say the high death toll was due to the sheer quantity of people recreating in the region following the coronavirus pandemic.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toying. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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