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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toying
Verb
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Nobody will hold Gjoshe to his hopeful timescale of playing again within a month.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025 -
What's the most difficult part of playing a character like Peter?—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During one table read, Telfer orchestrated a plan to have Cusack sit beside him and share a script, flirting throughout the night.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, touted the decrease in fuel costs, with the national average flirting with the $3-per-gallon price point.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For the show, the costumes were designed in collaboration with Vivian Westwood, recreating Cher’s tweed look, and Tom Brown designed Dionne’s outfit, as the original costumes are gone.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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Fast forward 100 years, and to mark the anniversary of the honeymoon adventure, Mercedes-Maybach PR had the idea of recreating, at least in part, the trans-Alpine adventure.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
3 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Toying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toying. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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