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to play around
[phrase form: play]
01
to behave in an irresponsible or stupid manner
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Inseparable
Particle
around
Base verb
play
Present tense
play around
3rd person singular
plays around
Present participle
playing around
Past simple
played around
Past participle
played around
Examples
He needs to stop playing around and take his studies seriously.
02
to engage in romantic or sexual activities outside of a committed relationship
Examples
Rumors say he 's been playing around, which might be the reason for the tension in their relationship.
03
to test something without being serious or detailed about it
Examples
Before painting the room, we played around with a few color swatches.
04
to experiment with different methods, options, or solutions to see what works best
Examples
We need to play around with the settings to get the best sound quality.
