playing (with)

verb

present participle of play (with)
as in tampering (with)
to handle thoughtlessly, ignorantly, or mischievously please don't play with the telephone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing (with)
manipulating
Verb
  • Last Wednesday, Meta reached a settlement with the attorneys general of forty-seven states, who had sued it for illegally manipulating the attention of children.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The experiment, therefore, suggests that empty space itself could become a new tool for manipulating quantum matter, much like other efforts to push the limits of superconducting materials.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of manipulating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

playing (upon)
playing (with)
playland
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Cite this Entry

“Playing (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20%28with%29. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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