toy with
Idioms-
Amuse oneself idly with, trifle, as in He teased her, toying with her as a cat toys with a mouse . [Early 1500s]
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Treat casually or without seriousness, as in I'm toying with the idea of writing a novel . [Early 1800s]
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.
In June, during Russia’s annual flagship economic forum in St. Petersburg, A7’s stand featured a giant roly-poly toy with the company’s logo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
At her age, I was learning how to count coins and save for a toy with literal dollar bills.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2025
Think of the toddler's classic hammer-and-bench toy, with square, circular, triangular and star-shaped wooden pegs that can each only fit in the correspondingly shaped hole in the bench.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2024
He comes across as a clear minded individual, not one to fall for the promise of a shiny new toy with no substance to it.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2024
Perhaps he slowed in hopes of finding an opponent to toy with.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
