plaything

noun

play·​thing ˈplā-ˌthiŋ How to pronounce plaything (audio)

Examples of plaything in a Sentence

VCRs were once the expensive, high-tech playthings of the rich. We mustn't let the environment become the plaything of oil companies. The emperor used people as his playthings.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Meanwhile, Lindy goes to town and finds a new plaything/potential victim for Whitfield. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 23 Mar. 2025 This particular monkey is slightly different from your typical plaything, however. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025 The main character, as a boy, is obsessed with physical strips of film, using them as playthings. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025 But her parents wouldn't oblige her, trying to enforce a basic life lesson that not every Target trip meant a new plaything. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plaything

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plaything was circa 1674

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plaything.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaything. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

plaything

noun
play·​thing -ˌthiŋ How to pronounce plaything (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on plaything

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!