play cat and mouse

1. Amuse oneself or trifle with, toy with, as in She loved to play cat and mouse with an admirer, acting by turns friendly, indifferent, and jealous. The analogy of a cat toying with a helpless mouse was drawn centuries earlier, but the precise term dates only from the early 1900s.

Example Sentences

Archie Madekwe and Théodore Pellerin play cat and mouse on the edge of fame in writer-director Alex Russell’s poised debut, a modern yet familiar story about obsession.

From Los Angeles Times

"It would have been nice to win the stage but I had to keep riding, we didn't want to play cat and mouse with Roglic behind," Thomas said.

From BBC

"The police and other city agencies have made a valiant effort with too few resources. They're only out there one night a week. And basically, the campers just play cat and mouse," Ryavec said.

From Fox News

"We've consistently seen them play cat and mouse with lawmakers and public opinion on the issue of sustainable working practices and sustainable consumption," she said.

From BBC

The chair of EU summits, Charles Michel, has warned Turkey not to play “cat and mouse” by withdrawing ships before EU summits, only to redeploy them afterwards.

From Reuters

Related Words

• afflict 
• annoy 
• bedevil 
• bother 
• harass 
• hound 
• hurt 
• irritate 
• mistreat 
• molest 
• nag 
• pester 
• plague 
• smite 
• tease 
• torture 
• vex