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
Throughout her career, the star has toyed with a variety of genres—from dark-pop to country to jazz.
—
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2024
Garvey toyed with the idea of running for Senate shortly after his 1988 retirement.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
By the time Eastwood had started to be accepted as a proficient director of genre movies thanks to The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Gauntlet, his ambitions had already deepened, as had his commitment to making movies that explored and toyed with his own big-screen image.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Gallup even once toyed with the idea of establishing a championship among pollsters, a recognition of sorts of the competitive entertainment inherent in election polling.
—W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for toy with 
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Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2024
Garvey toyed with the idea of running for Senate shortly after his 1988 retirement.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
By the time Eastwood had started to be accepted as a proficient director of genre movies thanks to The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Gauntlet, his ambitions had already deepened, as had his commitment to making movies that explored and toyed with his own big-screen image.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Gallup even once toyed with the idea of establishing a championship among pollsters, a recognition of sorts of the competitive entertainment inherent in election polling.
—W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for toy with
Dictionary Entries Near toy with
Cite this Entry
“Toy with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toy%20with. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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