1
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement
the cat toyed with the mouse it had caught, batting it about
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
likes to toy with men whom she has no intention of actually dating
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in toylike
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of toy
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Donald Trump’s Take President-elect Donald Trump has at least toyed openly with the idea that violence could be, in addition to being part of the problem, part of the solution.
—Evan Clark, WWD, 22 Nov. 2024
Micolette Davis, Chron, 19 Nov. 2020
Try Amazon’s own toy subscription service, which boasts a subscription for children aged 3 to 13.
—Popular Science, 11 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for toy
Verb
But up the middle, the Dodgers could toy around with different combinations nd experiment with myriad ways to maximize production.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Donald Trump’s Take President-elect Donald Trump has at least toyed openly with the idea that violence could be, in addition to being part of the problem, part of the solution.
—Evan Clark, WWD, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
That's why the Chron Shopping team has picked out some of our favorite non-toy gifts for kids to keep children engaged, active, and happy.
—Micolette Davis, Chron, 19 Nov. 2020
Try Amazon’s own toy subscription service, which boasts a subscription for children aged 3 to 13.
—Popular Science, 11 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for toy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toy
Verb
-
Both Earps and Hampton have played a very similar number of minutes and faced a very similar number of shots, but Earps’ shot-stopping has not been as strong, conceding 1.6 goals more than expected, based on the quality of shots faced.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
Baty plays second base on days when Vientos starts at the hot corner, and Vientos gets DH days to get Baty at third.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
The Grove developer has been flirting with both a gubernatorial bid and another run at the Los Angeles mayor’s race but remains undecided.—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
Much older and experienced than a traditional expansion team, the Panthers flirted with the playoffs in their first two seasons before making it in their third.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Brooks investigates the same kind of phenomenon, but in the cores of dwarf galaxies.—
Stephen Clark – Jun 6,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
-
Remember to select tall zinnia cultivars or grow zinnias with dwarf sunflowers like ‘Teddy Bear’ so your plants don’t compete for light.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Yes, Georgia and Paul split this season as the blowback from the trial — and Paul's support of Proposition 38, disastrous for small businesses — imperiled his mayoral career.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
-
Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Built with water-resistant polyester, this spacious duffel has a dedicated shoe compartment, an end pocket for wet or dirty clothes, a multi-pocket compression panel for organization, and an interior divider curtain that can be removed to hold bulky clothes or outdoor gear.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The Vault by Vans x Nicole McLaughlin Collection includes special-edition versions of the iconic Vans Slip-On VP VR3 LX with adaptations—think canvas pockets and easy-carry heel straps—inspired by a classic multi-pocket garden tote and workwear bucket bag often used on construction job sites.—
Hollyanna McCollom,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
At parties, Lee showed off his miniature Minox camera and bragged that he was engaged in spycraft.—
Christopher Goffard,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
-
The original miniature portrait has been lost to history.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Her dinky dimensions are a small piece of Pearl’s story, though a large part of Semler’s.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2025
-
There's a wind-deflecting screen, which would only make sense if this thing's designed to gallop at north of 50 miles an hour (80 km/h), and behind that, a dinky little full-color dash.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Mia said she was kept off-kilter working around the clock for Combs with little sleep.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
-
The cuts could include the elimination of bus routes that get relatively little use and less frequent service on some popular routes.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toy. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share