play around
idiom
1
: to have sex with someone who is not one's husband, wife, or regular partner
He's not the kind of guy who plays around.
—often + onShe's been playing around on her husband.
—often + withShe's been playing around with one of her coworkers.
2
: to deal with or treat something in a careless way
When it comes to protecting his family, he doesn't play around.
—often + withYou can't play around with diabetes; it's a very serious disease.
3
: to use or do something in a way that is not very serious
It's time to stop playing around and get busy.
—often + onI spent the evening playing around on the piano/computer/Internet.
—often + withI'm not really a painter; I just like to play around with paints.
4
: to move or change something or to think about something in different ways often in order to find out what would work best
—+ with
I see you've been playing around with the living room furniture again.
The supervisor played around with our work schedules this week.
We played around with the idea for a while but eventually realized that it just wouldn't work.
Examples of play around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some people like a little more wiggle room around the band, while others like it a bit more snug; play around with the your sister size.
—
Bianca London, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2025
Republicans hold 218 seats in the House versus the 213 seats held by Democrats, leaving them with only a two-vote margin to play around with.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Eury Perez is expected to be cleared to play around the All-Star Break.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2025
Any to-be-wed can play around with this dress code to add some luck to their wedding day.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play around
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Bianca London, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2025
Republicans hold 218 seats in the House versus the 213 seats held by Democrats, leaving them with only a two-vote margin to play around with.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Eury Perez is expected to be cleared to play around the All-Star Break.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2025
Any to-be-wed can play around with this dress code to add some luck to their wedding day.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play around
Cite this Entry
“Play around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20around. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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