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
  • Sandoval’s ex, Dillon Maquindang, stood at a podium Thursday morning and decried the defendant for cheating on them, manipulating them and taking out his failures on Maquindang’s family.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In recent years, totalizing ideologies such as communism, fascism, and Islamism have found dedicated audiences on social media, and the proliferation of demagogues manipulating people for malign ends is an ever-present worry.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Playing (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20%28with%29. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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