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
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Recent Examples of mess around
The Lakers weren’t messing around during the film sessions or practices.
—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside, this sandwich doesn't mess around.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
While the directors mess around with genre in each chapter and the cast differs from story to story, the six narratives are given a sense of consistency courtesy of the unique Coen voice.
—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
Following the global success of The Housemaid, Lionsgate is not messing around with its upcoming sequel.
—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside, this sandwich doesn't mess around.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
While the directors mess around with genre in each chapter and the cast differs from story to story, the six narratives are given a sense of consistency courtesy of the unique Coen voice.
—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
Following the global success of The Housemaid, Lionsgate is not messing around with its upcoming sequel.
—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
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Win prizes playing interactive games, network with artists and entrepreneurs and enjoy signature drinks and bar snacks available for purchase.
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Men leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of who in the workplace may be playing more of an emotional support role that falls outside their job description.
Verb
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Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas sentenced a Chicago man to 76 years Thursday for gunning down a friend who was flirting with his girlfriend online.
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While the Penguins have been financially stable since 2007, when it was announced that a new building had been approved, the franchise has filed for bankruptcy multiple times and flirted with leaving for other cities on numerous occasions.
Verb
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The suspect, an adult male, wore all black and traveled on a scooter.
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For those unable to attend games at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium, the free-to-enter festival offers local and traveling spectators a place to gather during the World Cup.
Verb
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Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
Verb
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Valentine and Suarez did not respond to letters mailed to addresses that appeared to be associated with them.
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a letter Tuesday informing Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown of the decision, citing Anthropic’s close coordination and cooperation with government officials to address risks associated with its models.
Verb
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President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder.
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On Monday, May 18, a 7%-illuminated crescent will hang about two degrees from Venus, with Jupiter about 20 degrees above.
Verb
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The couple's Jeep Compass was still running and the fan was on high, however, the air conditioning wasn't working, according to authorities.
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Rodrigo Carmona, who runs the juice and snack spot with his wife and son, simply kept it.
Verb
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No balls were kicked around, but a first impression was made about a pitch that’s cropped tighter than a Pebble Beach fairway yet in impressive shape after four games over 11 days.
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Clear skies are in the forecast for the next few days as temperatures kick around the upper 90s.
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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