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
Lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives have recently toyed with having billionaire Musk take on the role.
—
Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
So DeSantis had to question, from the start, whether he was being toyed with and set up for public humiliation, which Trump has a habit of doing to people — notably Sen. Mitt Romney eight years ago.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Dec. 2024
Further showing his disregard for American concerns, Putin also began toying with the idea of invading neighboring Georgia, where both Chechen civilians and guerrilla forces had fled.
—Stephan Kieninger / Made By History, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
However, others point to some new and potentially intriguing wrinkles for Holmes after the veteran right-hander toyed with a couple of ideas late last season.
—Will Sammon, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for toy with 
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Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
So DeSantis had to question, from the start, whether he was being toyed with and set up for public humiliation, which Trump has a habit of doing to people — notably Sen. Mitt Romney eight years ago.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Dec. 2024
Further showing his disregard for American concerns, Putin also began toying with the idea of invading neighboring Georgia, where both Chechen civilians and guerrilla forces had fled.
—Stephan Kieninger / Made By History, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
However, others point to some new and potentially intriguing wrinkles for Holmes after the veteran right-hander toyed with a couple of ideas late last season.
—Will Sammon, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for toy with
Dictionary Entries Near toy with
Cite this Entry
“Toy with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toy%20with. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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