1
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
spent the vacation day just messing around
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess around
Other standouts include a Maybelline mascara and a Black and Decker handheld vacuum, which makes quick work of small messes around the house and in the car.
—
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Roger would go out and kind of mess around right before the tournament.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No messing around — just wham, bam, thank you, GLAM!
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Roger would go out and kind of mess around right before the tournament.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No messing around — just wham, bam, thank you, GLAM!
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
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Rafaela played several positions for the Red Sox and subbed in games in later innings before making his first career start, at Bogaerts’ old spot.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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Ayton competes internationally for the Bahamas, last playing for the national team during the 2024 Olympic qualifying process.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then their subject starts to flirt with the idea of disengaging and moving to a like-minded nudist community, even relocating for a few days to test the new setup out.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Some participants go home with a new connection, and others flirt a little and then buy some books, Clark Delgado says.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Epstein frequently traveled there, according to DOJ documents, and Barrack was involved in multiple real estate deals involving Middle Eastern governments.—
Daniel Ruetenik,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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Studying auroras is important, because they are associated with geomagnetic storms, which can cause all kinds of technical issues for satellites in space, as well as endanger astronauts.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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On average, increasing land-use mix by 20% was associated with a 7% relative increase in short-distance trips.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Microsoft’s $50 billion investment will, among other things, help to build the data centers crucial to providing the computing power needed to run AI models.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Moe’s Nuggets ran and dared the rest of the NBA to catch up.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Thus bonded, the pair become the band’s Lennon and McCartney, with music fairly flowing out of them after Kitty moves in.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
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Even then, though, the four actor-musicians didn’t really start to bond yet.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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