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
Tropper’s scripts toy with satire at times, but never fully commit to it.
—
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 11 Apr. 2025
Moyes had been impressed with the Irishman’s performance in Everton’s cup win over Peterborough United, and had toyed with the idea of playing him straight away against Villa.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Other big tech giants, like TikTok, have toyed with the idea of launching ad-free subscription models in recent years.
—Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 23 Mar. 2025
But over the last century, events and public occasions in Hollywood have toyed with color, opting at times for hues that are more aesthetically pleasing or fitting for the event’s essence.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toy with
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 11 Apr. 2025
Moyes had been impressed with the Irishman’s performance in Everton’s cup win over Peterborough United, and had toyed with the idea of playing him straight away against Villa.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Other big tech giants, like TikTok, have toyed with the idea of launching ad-free subscription models in recent years.
—Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 23 Mar. 2025
But over the last century, events and public occasions in Hollywood have toyed with color, opting at times for hues that are more aesthetically pleasing or fitting for the event’s essence.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 17 Mar. 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 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share