play with
phrasal verb
played with; playing with; plays with
1
: to move or handle (something) with one's hands or fingers often without thinking
Stop playing with that pen and pay attention to what I'm saying.
2
: to handle, change, or deal with (something) in a careless way
I played with the radio for a while but couldn't get it to work.
It's important to teach your children not to play with guns/fire/matches.
Don't play with my heart/emotions.
You have to take this seriously. You're playing with people's lives!
3
: to think about (something) briefly and not very seriously
I played with the idea of moving to Chicago but ended up staying in New York.
Examples of play with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An evolving icon and a who's-who of role models
Barbie has continued to change and evolve over the decades: There are multicultural Barbies so more girls can play with dolls that look like them.
—
Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
Or just, bending down to pick up my kids, or bending down, sitting on the floor, and playing with my kids.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2025
Mark Mitchell did everything in his power to ensure the Missouri Tigers would close regular-season SEC play with a win on Senior Day.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2025
There are hundreds of games that can be played with friends, but few are going to deliver as memorable an experience as this one.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play with
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Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
Or just, bending down to pick up my kids, or bending down, sitting on the floor, and playing with my kids.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2025
Mark Mitchell did everything in his power to ensure the Missouri Tigers would close regular-season SEC play with a win on Senior Day.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2025
There are hundreds of games that can be played with friends, but few are going to deliver as memorable an experience as this one.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play with
Cite this Entry
“Play with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20with. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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