toy with
phrasal verb
toyed with; toying with; toys with
1
: to think about (something) briefly and not very seriously
I toyed with the idea of moving to France but ended up staying here.
2
: to move or touch (something) with one's fingers often without thinking
She toyed with her hair while she talked on the phone.
3
: to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way
Do you really love me, or are you just toying with me?
Don't toy with my emotions.
Examples of toy with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Party members have toyed with reviving Nazi slogans, downplayed the horror wrought by the Holocaust and have been linked to plots to overthrow the government.
—
Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Even after the 22nd Amendment’s ratification in 1951, some Presidents have toyed with the idea of a third term.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Toguri was charged with broadcasting propaganda on Tokyo’s airwaves that toyed with the morale of American military personnel.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Not that Presence ultimately adds up to much — its reveal is anticlimactic — but the fun Soderbergh has toying with our expectations is contagious.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
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Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Even after the 22nd Amendment’s ratification in 1951, some Presidents have toyed with the idea of a third term.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Toguri was charged with broadcasting propaganda on Tokyo’s airwaves that toyed with the morale of American military personnel.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Not that Presence ultimately adds up to much — its reveal is anticlimactic — but the fun Soderbergh has toying with our expectations is contagious.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
Cite this Entry
“Toy with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toy%20with. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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