mess with

phrasal verb

messed with; messing with; messes with

informal

1

: to cause trouble for (someone) : to deal with (someone) in a way that may cause anger or violence

I wouldn't want to mess with him.

You'd better not be messing with me.

2

chiefly US : to deal with or be involved with (something that causes or that could cause trouble)

The company doesn't want to mess with small distributors.

He doesn't want to mess with cocaine anymore.

3

: to handle or play with (something) in a careless way : to mess around with (something)

Don't mess with the camera.

Examples of mess with in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not long ago, the Spaniard messed with the American's rangefinder, producing hilarious results. —Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

Hackers can use that info to mess with your life in all kinds of ways. —Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Uncomfortable period symptoms can also mess with your sleep. —Julia Ries, SELF, 23 June 2025

Special Items Whether antiques, cherished knickknacks, or heirlooms, items that are very delicate and/or precious to the customer are typically items house cleaners won’t want to mess with in order to cut down the risk of damaging them. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 June 2025