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

Outside of the office, Mr. Ratcliffe enjoys being home with his family, is an avid gardener, and enjoys playing with his three children and three dogs. —Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025

But as the excited pup tries to play with Clark, his powerful jumps and bites only cause more pain. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Senators head coach Travis Green felt his team played with a high urgency level Tuesday. —Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025

Patrick was also seen playing with his oldest daughter. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025