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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Despite playing before halftime, Scheierman and Walsh were not put back on the court again until the final seconds.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025 -
Investigators pointed to a March 23, 2023, game involving Rozier, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even the United States, which can sometimes appear allergic to collective transit, is once again flirting with the idea that speed and sustainability might share the same track.—
Chelsea Haney
October 25,
New Atlas,
25 Oct. 2025
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But as college sports enters yet another year of flirting with institutional funds of all sorts—conversations that have drawn vocal pushback from fans, administrators and trustees—I’ve begun to pay close attention to how those in power talk about these deals.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But as Sora 2 users began recreating celebrities without consent, OpenAI was forced to act.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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And the public gets some wild movies and TV shows that would otherwise never get made, doing crazy-stupid stuff like recreating Napoleonic-era sea battles off the coast of the Galapagos.—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Toying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toying. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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