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
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.
Smith-Njigba ended up all by himself on the Texans sideline, and official Nathan Jones made sure that nobody messed with the Seahawks receiver. Mark Kern, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025 The thing about Ben and I switching from drums to guitar all night messed with my muscle memory. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 Put that money away and don’t mess with it for a while. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 McComber warned them not to mess with their gear, and then watched one of the fishermen do just that. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mess with

Cite this Entry

“Mess with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20with. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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