1
as in plays
to engage in activity for amusement
the cat toyed with the mouse it had caught, batting it about
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flirts
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 toys
Here, Matcha Milk toys the line between sweet and earthy, blending macadamia milk and vanilla with black tea and matcha accord.
—
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toys
Verb
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In the dance, Barnes plays a library page on her lunch hour who has to deliver five research requests to patrons.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Making plays often for his teammates, Banchero added six assists, but turned the ball over five times.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While waiting for flights to resume, Charli’s character Bethany flirts with the idea of blowing up her life by rekindling a romance with an old friend who owns a flower shop in Warsaw.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
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Delivered with an ease that flirts with comedy, it can be taken as humor punctuating drama.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the video, little London wears a chic pink snowsuit with bow designs, while Phoenix wears an all-red snowsuit and Hilton sports an aqua blue jacket with black snow pants and a black hat.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
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Post-accident, Varren still sports a forehead scar and continues to ride his e-bike in his Miramar neighborhood with friends.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toys. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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