play with
phrasal verb
played with; playing with; plays with
1
: to move or handle (something) with one's hands or fingers often without thinking
Stop playing with that pen and pay attention to what I'm saying.
2
: to handle, change, or deal with (something) in a careless way
I played with the radio for a while but couldn't get it to work.
It's important to teach your children not to play with guns/fire/matches.
Don't play with my heart/emotions.
You have to take this seriously. You're playing with people's lives!
3
: to think about (something) briefly and not very seriously
I played with the idea of moving to Chicago but ended up staying in New York.
Examples of play with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other moments featured in the photo carousel included Malti admiring some Christmas trees, cuddling with mom in a hotel bathrobe, sharing her artwork on a sketch pad, and playing with a doll from Disney's Moana.
—
Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Their relative peace and quiet is routinely interrupted by Gloria, Mandy’s sister, played with frazzled mania by the wonderful Brenda Blethyn.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
Without James and still without Austin Reaves, Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team would need to play with distinct characteristics.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Spain led play with $347K, coming in ahead of animated comps Transformers One (+4%), The Boy and the Heron (+8%) and Raya and the Last Dragon (+28%).
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2024
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Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Their relative peace and quiet is routinely interrupted by Gloria, Mandy’s sister, played with frazzled mania by the wonderful Brenda Blethyn.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
Without James and still without Austin Reaves, Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team would need to play with distinct characteristics.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Spain led play with $347K, coming in ahead of animated comps Transformers One (+4%), The Boy and the Heron (+8%) and Raya and the Last Dragon (+28%).
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for play with
Dictionary Entries Near play with
Cite this Entry
“Play with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20with. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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