1
as in playing
to engage in activity for amusement
the cat toyed with the mouse it had caught, batting it about
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flirting
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toying
The bill is the result of six years of studying and toying around the edges of PBM issues.
—
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 9 Apr. 2025
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 9 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toying
Verb
-
The Cubs went from playing in 100-plus degree weather for over a week in Arizona to wind chills in the upper 20s on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field in their 6-2 win over the Angels.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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These are the public spaces that guests mill about in—sipping a berry cooler at the long bar, enjoying a glass of malbec and a read by the stove, or playing monopoly at the communal table.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When Missouri joined a nationwide redistricting frenzy last year, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas immediately began flirting with a run for Congress.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
After some light flirting with João in the crew mess, the chief stew is ready to welcome the guests.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Reske appears uninterested in fetishizing or recreating his past, and that’s probably for the best.—
David Glickman,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
-
His reputation for meticulous period work will be central to recreating the world Wong Howe inhabited across more than five decades in Hollywood, from the silent era through the Golden Age of cinema.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toying. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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