play with
Britishverb
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to consider without giving deep thought to or coming to a conclusion concerning
we're playing with the idea of emigrating
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to behave carelessly with
to play with a girl's affections
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to fiddle or mess about with
he's just playing with his food
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The imagery associated with the unassembled statue is intriguing, too—pictures of the head or the lamp, waiting patiently in a workshop or a park, play with our sense of scale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
According to a Pew Research poll, Millennials were more likely than Boomers to say it’s a good thing for parents to encourage young boys to play with toys and pursue activities normally associated with girls.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
Their father had texted that morning saying the boys could play with the train set in the attic.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Then, Meta wants everyone to play with its new A.I. model but is the cuteness covering up something sinister?
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026
It was what she used to play with Daddy.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
