mess over

verb

Definition of mess overnext
slang
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon her no-good boyfriend has been messing her over for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess over
  1. abuse
  2. bully
Verb
  • OpenAI says its threat reports draw on its view of how actors try to abuse AI models, often in combination with other platforms and tools.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Four people represented by the ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit in May accusing the task force of abusing the law to block them from documenting officers’ actions, sometimes ordering them to stay more than 100 feet away from arrest scenes.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Likewise, bullying commands are unlikely to resonate in a party not trained to follow a strongman.
    — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • Bang-geul was bullied by her older half-siblings, who looked down on their younger sister because of her mom’s former status as a domestic employee.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 July 2026
Definition of bully
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.

Browse Nearby Words

messmates
mess over
mess (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mess over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20over. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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