1
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
spent the vacation day just messing around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to travel
to come or be together as friends
if you continue to mess around with such narrow-minded boobs, you'll begin to think and act like them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of mess around
Given another chance, the Cubs did not wait around until spring training or mess around with a team-friendly offer, hoping that Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, would eventually run out of options and settle for a below-market deal.
—
Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Miami’s defense isn’t messing around The Hurricanes defense has rattled Julian Sayin.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
For wireless performance that doesn’t mess around, this one really earns its price tag.
—PC Magazine, 3 Dec. 2025
A couple dozen Kumamoto oysters, 20% off, and shipped fresh by the reputable folks at Fulton Street Fish Market (don’t mess around with sketchy online seafood delivery) will bring their subtle creaminess to my festivities this winter.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Miami’s defense isn’t messing around The Hurricanes defense has rattled Julian Sayin.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
For wireless performance that doesn’t mess around, this one really earns its price tag.
—PC Magazine, 3 Dec. 2025
A couple dozen Kumamoto oysters, 20% off, and shipped fresh by the reputable folks at Fulton Street Fish Market (don’t mess around with sketchy online seafood delivery) will bring their subtle creaminess to my festivities this winter.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
-
The administration is playing a blame game over the initial characterization of Pretti, Axios reports.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Dak already has shot past the championship game deadline in that no other quarterback has ever begun his career with a team and played 10 seasons without reaching the NFC or AFC title game, then reached a Super Bowl with that team later in his career.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Since winning World Series in 1987 and 1991, the Twins have really only flirted with postseason relevance.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
23 Jan. 2026
-
This isn't the first time Kardashian has flirted with a retro aesthetic.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Although many in the crowd were his constituents, some people traveled hours to show their support.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
In many international markets, direct-to-consumer pricing does not travel well.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
A day after Good was killed, a Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, shot and injured two people, who authorities said were associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Weir, along with Jerry Garcia, formed the band in Palo Alto in 1965, but is best-associated with San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Indu and Mahipal run a Hindu monastery, or ashram, in India called Hanslok that was founded by Mahipal’s father.—
Bernadette Toh,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Most of the other candidates lacked play-calling experience in the NFL, outside of Harris, Martindale, Lions assistant Jim O’Neil and Packers run game coordinator Demarcus Covington.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Turquoise pearl, and azure line the space, and a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish hangs about the lounge seating area.—
Kristin Braswell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The hot air just hangs about, causing the dish to cook unevenly with some spots nearly raw and others burnt.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Gu spent that time sleeping, eating, doing homework, and bonding with her mother.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Aside from lowering the odds of ice forming, the road treatments in North Texas are meant to keep precipitation from bonding to the pavement — so it can be churned into slush by traffic or pushed off the road by crews, Hartzel said.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
