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

Key players for both teams are expected to play with Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (knee) and Penn State Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year DE Abdul Carter (arm) impacting play on both sides of the ball. —Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

In other words, avoid too many super dark or extremely light hues but feel free to play with rich color or earthy mid tones. —Laura Solla, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2025

For example, playing with blocks offers an opportunity to discuss concepts like spatial relationships, shapes and measurement. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 9 Jan. 2025

Both also played professionally — Alec was in the USL in 2016, while Lucas is currently under contract with DC United and has also played with FC Dallas and St. Louis City SC. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025