TOY Synonyms: 237 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'toy' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of toy are coquet , dally , flirt , and trifle . While all these words mean "to deal with or act toward without serious purpose," toy implies acting without full attention or serious exertion of one's powers. // a political novice toying with great issues

Q: When can 'coquet' be used instead of 'toy'?

While in some cases nearly identical to toy , coquet implies attracting interest or admiration without serious intention. // companies that coquet with environmentalism solely for public relations

Q: When would 'dally' be a good substitute for 'toy'?

In some situations, the words dally and toy are roughly equivalent. However, dally suggests indulging in thoughts or plans merely as an amusement. // dallying with the idea of building a boat someday

Q: In what contexts can 'flirt' take the place of 'toy'?

The words flirt and toy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flirt implies an interest or attention that soon passes to another object. // flirted with one fashionable ism after another

Q: When could 'trifle' be used to replace 'toy'?

The meanings of trifle and toy largely overlap; however, trifle may imply playfulness, unconcern, indulgent contempt. // to trifle with a lover's feelings

toy 1 of 3

verb

Definition of toy

as in to play

to engage in activity for amusement the cat toyed with the mouse it had caught, batting it about

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to flirt

to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun likes to toy with men whom she has no intention of actually dating

Synonyms & Similar Words

toy

2 of 3

adjective

as in dwarf

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

toy

3 of 3

noun

as in miniature

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb toy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of toy are coquet, dally, flirt, and trifle. While all these words mean "to deal with or act toward without serious purpose," toy implies acting without full attention or serious exertion of one's powers.

a political novice toying with great issues

When can coquet be used instead of toy?

While in some cases nearly identical to toy, coquet implies attracting interest or admiration without serious intention.

companies that coquet with environmentalism solely for public relations

When would dally be a good substitute for toy?

In some situations, the words dally and toy are roughly equivalent. However, dally suggests indulging in thoughts or plans merely as an amusement.

dallying with the idea of building a boat someday

In what contexts can flirt take the place of toy?

The words flirt and toy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flirt implies an interest or attention that soon passes to another object.

flirted with one fashionable ism after another

When could trifle be used to replace toy?

The meanings of trifle and toy largely overlap; however, trifle may imply playfulness, unconcern, indulgent contempt.

to trifle with a lover's feelings

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of toy

Verb

Whether paired with sneakers or bold heelsheels, the flare cut of these pants is playful enough to toy around with different shoe pairings. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026 Trump has been a fierce Powell critic and toyed last year with the idea of firing him. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2026

Adjective

That's why the Chron Shopping team has picked out some of our favorite non-toy gifts for kids to keep children engaged, active, and happy. — Micolette Davis, Chron, 19 Nov. 2020 Scene transitions show toy cities, just like those used on the legendary children’s show, only Lloyd’s story is unfolding in Manhattan, rather than Pittsburgh. — Rachel E. Greenspan, Time, 22 Nov. 2019

Noun

Goodees began as an emoji-style logo for Goodbai before evolving into a fuzzy character and eventually an intellectual property universe dubbed Goodees World, tapping into China’s plush-toy craze accelerated by Pop Mart. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026 The department released a photo of the play set and said there was nothing on the toy identifying its brand, but similar replica sets are sold online. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for toy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toy

Verb

The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master.

— Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Music, David said, plays a significant role in his recovery process.

— Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

However, with Martinez pushing to leave again and flirting with Juventus, Villa decided to grant him his wish and brought in Zion Suzuki from Parma as his replacement.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Parton’s version of glamour wasn’t afraid to flirt with bad taste.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of flirt

Adjective

Bare-root fruit trees that produce fruit the fastest are typically dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
Look for citrus varieties grafted onto dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock so the citrus tree stays small and doesn’t need to be pruned or re-potted as often.

— Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2026

Definition of dwarf

Adjective

That’s a dangerous prospect for any country, but especially for Singapore, crammed into a space smaller than New York City.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
But after home brewers were able to show the appeal of hoppy IPAs, malty stouts and citrusy wheat ales, that eventually led to a boom in small breweries.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of small

Noun

As part of those shows, the band played a mini-set of Television songs in honor of their late friend and collaborator Verlaine.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
In January 2021, Hassan told Vulture of her fond memories from filming, spilling the beans on the cast’s lively group chat and frequent mini-reunions.

— Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of mini

Adjective

Large clutches, like those at Bottega Veneta and Chanel, and comfortable shoulder bags like the Miu Miu multi-pocket bag, also featured.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
My favorite and most-used is the Patagonia Baggies Brimmer ($50), which looks like a safari hat and should probably be matched with one of those tan, multi-pocket vests.

— Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 1 June 2021

Definition of pocket

Adjective

Stretching out a dinky tape measure that keeps shimmying or bending or snapping back into the roll.

— Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 14 June 2026
Enmeshed in scandal, the former duke and duchess of York have practically vanished from public view – and so have the queen's dinky golden furballs.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 June 2026

Definition of dinky

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toxins

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toyed

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“Toy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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noun

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Synonyms of toy

verb

adjective

noun

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Phrases Containing toy

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Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition

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