trifle with

phrasal verb

trifled with; trifling with; trifles with

: to treat or deal with (someone or something) in a way that shows a lack of proper respect or seriousness

You shouldn't trifle with their feelings.

Examples of trifle with in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But experts warn that when temperatures reach dangerous levels, the heat is nothing to be trifled with, and access to air conditioning can be a matter of life or death for some people. —

Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024 Per the official synopsis, Season 2 finds Mark and his friends learning the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe. —

Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 July 2024 In the 10-episode Season 2, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe. —

Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 July 2024 Elon Musk gave Bill Gates advance warning on Tuesday not to trifle with him again. —

Phil Wahba, Fortune, 3 July 2024 We’re entitled to take it personally when an ex-government official trifles with our safety and lives. —

WSJ, 16 June 2023 The playwright’s conceit is to portray living with the immunodeficiency virus as a facet of a satirical contest — as if a human’s health could be trifled with, laughed off. —

Peter Marks, Washington Post, 7 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trifle with.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.