MESS OVER Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

mess over

verb

Definition of mess over

slang

as in to abuse

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon her no-good boyfriend has been messing her over for years

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess over

Verb

The scandal led to Paterno’s firing, and the university paid more than $100 million to people who said they were abused by Sandusky.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Some critics report being verbally abused, doxxed, and even threatened with rape and death by BJP supporters.

— Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

Across the street, other workers are clearing the rubble from the old Highmark Stadium as it is taken apart piece by piece.

— Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Among the arrays that are set to be taken apart is the Coastal Endurance Array, which lies off the coasts of Oregon and Washington State.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 2 June 2026

Definition of take apart

Verb

So much about the two circumstances is different, many of them instituted by Key because of losses like the one to Pitt (though that makes getting bullied by Colorado only more perplexing).

— Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Rudin had stepped away from producing in 2021, after a Hollywood Reporter story detailed multiple claims from Rudin’s former employees of bullying and verbal abuse as well as throwing objects at staff.

— Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 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.

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messmates

mess over

mess (up)

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“Mess over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20over. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of mess over

verb

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