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 New York does not mess around, and almost every mile was lined with people cheering and holding up signs that kept me smiling through the pain. Katie Henwood, Vogue, 10 Nov. 2023 This stick vacuum uses up to 18,000 units of pressure to suck up miscellaneous messes around your house — from pet hair to dust bunnies. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023 The expansion means that a lot more people can choose to mess around with SGE. Jay Peters, The Verge, 8 Nov. 2023 The device, which converts into handheld steam cleaner, also comes with accessories to tackle above-floor messes around the house. Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 30 Oct. 2023 No more messing around with the future of our Nation. Eden Villalovas, Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2023 The allspice dram in particular doesn’t mess around—even a little bit brings a double-barreled blast of spice to the drink—making this drink equally suited standing around an afternoon barbeque or sitting around an evening fireplace. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2023 Get The Recipe 08 of 36 Chicken And Fontina Panini Crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside, this sandwich doesn't mess around. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2023 Now your shows are messing around with German expressionistic lighting, Kabuki tropes, and comically oversize suits. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2023 See More

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near mess around

Cite this Entry

“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20around. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

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