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
Relevance
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 age-gap romance is one that Statsky said the writers have been toying around with for quite some time.
—
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
The bill is the result of six years of studying and toying around the edges of PBM issues.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 9 Apr. 2025
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
The bill is the result of six years of studying and toying around the edges of PBM issues.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 9 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toying
Verb
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Marcus tries to balance pushing Nick to keep playing while knowing his older brother has to do what’s best for him and his family.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Things get clubbier in the basement Music Room, all red velvet with an indoor-outdoor bar for smokers and a modelesque DJ playing pumping house on our visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Because if Vitello can’t handle a simple case of a star player forgetting the outs at a critical juncture of the game against an archrival, who is to say what will be accepted next for a team that’s already flirting with effective playoff elimination?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
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Disney, which was in the process of buying ABC, was also flirting with launching a news network.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
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Omni’s Tiki Social is a nod towards recreating the tiki drinking culture of America in the mid-20th Century.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toying. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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