Question

toy with

Accepted Answer

toy with
1. toy with sth usually progressive if you toy with an idea or a possibility, you think about it and consider it, but not very seriously:
▪ Len's not sure what to study at university - he's been toying with various possibilities.
toy with the idea of (doing) sth
▪ I had been to France several times, and was toying with the idea of buying a house there.
■ SIMILAR TO: ↑flirt with
2. toy with sth to keep touching something or moving it about, especially while you are thinking about something else:
▪ He toyed with his keys as he spoke.
▪ We sat there toying with our food and trying to be polite to each other.
■ SIMILAR TO: ↑play with
3. toy with sb usually progressive to treat someone in a way that is not sincere or fair and is likely to upset them, for example by pretending to like them:
▪ Rourke was not what he seemed - he had been toying with her that day on the river.
■ SIMILAR TO: ↑play with, ↑string along

Toy Toying Sth Idea Similar Progressive ↑Play Possibility