The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word TOYED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
O
Y
E
D
More clues leading to the result TOYED
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Played" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case played = toyed.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TOYED mean?
TOYED verb- To play (with) in an idle or desultory way.
- To ponder or consider.
- To stimulate with a sex toy.