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.
At her age, I was learning how to count coins and save for a toy with literal dollar bills.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2025
Lionel Messi didn’t toy with defenders in the MLS Cup final.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2024
Game-makers have previously defended them as being akin to a chocolate egg containing a plastic toy, with children not knowing exactly what they are getting until the egg is bought and opened.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2024
For the title track, which Booth wrote fresh from the demise of a five-year relationship, she wanted to toy with the expectations established by such a miserable framing.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024
And the master would smile at Miss Susan, and toy with his watch chain.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
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.
