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
Don't mess with a brand that's deeply embedded in consumer hearts and memories.
—
Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
My doctor found a different medication for my condition, one that didn’t mess with my metabolism.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Read on for what the experts say about which foods are messing with your sleep.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 14 May 2025
The default white shade can really mess with your palette.
—Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess with
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Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
My doctor found a different medication for my condition, one that didn’t mess with my metabolism.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Read on for what the experts say about which foods are messing with your sleep.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 14 May 2025
The default white shade can really mess with your palette.
—Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 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 24 May. 2025.
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