mess around

verb

messed around; messing around; messes around

intransitive verb

1
: to waste time : dawdle, idle
2
a
: associate
didn't mess around with gangs

Examples of mess around in a Sentence

spent the vacation day just messing around a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yeah, the team is old, and would have benefited from closing out the Rockets in five instead of messing around till Game 7. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 May 2025 Interestingly, in the language of the Inupiat tribe of Alaska’s north slope, there’s no messing around with spring. Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2025 Sean Keeler, columnist: The Broncos needed a franchise QB last year, and didn’t mess around. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2025 Body gua shas typically feature more intense angles and ridges—perfect for regular maintenance and post-strain relief alike (that last Pilates class was not messing around). Allure, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mess around

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mess around was in 1918

Cite this Entry

“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20around. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mess around

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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