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
Throughout his life, Sanborn played with the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, and many others.
—
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Leo was also pictured playing with a toy truck while Palmer cozied up in a blanket beside him.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Really good receivers want to play with a really good quarterback.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024
And Edwards is the type of player to react to poor play with a rousing response his next time out.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 11 May 2024
Plus, the legs are removable, so little ones can play with this table while sitting or standing.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 11 May 2024
Florida is playing with house money now entering Game 4 back in Beantown Sunday -- the home-ice advantage retaken by force.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 11 May 2024
On Wednesday, the winds were tender in the slow second movement, and the lilting ländler dance of the third was played with both delicacy and good humor.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 9 May 2024
He’s made his own mind-expanding New York connections, playing with Cuban pianist Axel Tosca and Puerto Rican bass maestro John Benitez, whose music has been steeped in kindred rhythms defined by clave, the fundamental Afro-Cuban rhythmic pattern.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Leo was also pictured playing with a toy truck while Palmer cozied up in a blanket beside him.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Really good receivers want to play with a really good quarterback.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024
And Edwards is the type of player to react to poor play with a rousing response his next time out.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 11 May 2024
Plus, the legs are removable, so little ones can play with this table while sitting or standing.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 11 May 2024
Florida is playing with house money now entering Game 4 back in Beantown Sunday -- the home-ice advantage retaken by force.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 11 May 2024
On Wednesday, the winds were tender in the slow second movement, and the lilting ländler dance of the third was played with both delicacy and good humor.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 9 May 2024
He’s made his own mind-expanding New York connections, playing with Cuban pianist Axel Tosca and Puerto Rican bass maestro John Benitez, whose music has been steeped in kindred rhythms defined by clave, the fundamental Afro-Cuban rhythmic pattern.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play with.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Play with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20with. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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