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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess around
The Italian heritage brand Frette does not mess around with luxury.
—
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 7 Feb. 2026
In the email, Dixon suggested that the fire department employee may have messed around with the department's equipment.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
The new rule of thumb when prognosticating about the NBA trade deadline is to never say never — Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker now — but the Nuggets are just too good to mess around with their playoff rotation over a tax bill.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Skechers Cleo Taylor Loafers Comfortable shoes can make or break a travel day, and Aura doesn’t mess around.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 7 Feb. 2026
In the email, Dixon suggested that the fire department employee may have messed around with the department's equipment.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
The new rule of thumb when prognosticating about the NBA trade deadline is to never say never — Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker now — but the Nuggets are just too good to mess around with their playoff rotation over a tax bill.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Skechers Cleo Taylor Loafers Comfortable shoes can make or break a travel day, and Aura doesn’t mess around.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
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Herro and Powell, who are the Heat’s two leading scorers this season, entered Tuesday with just 173 minutes played together this season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
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Kings coach Doug Christie said Westbrook also ranks among the very best point guards to ever play the game.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Areas closer to the District may flirt with 80°.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Gadiaga plays bass throughout BabyGoated—most prominently on the title track’s deep groove, an insistent bassline flirting with Afrobeat—but her honey-sweet voice is the star here.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The agency advised Americans to travel by land to either Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey, given that Iraqi airspace is closed at least until Monday.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Mar. 2026
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That ability to travel across the European Union and to relocate to Italy or other EU countries makes Italian dual citizenship appealing.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many key figures were associated with a movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, which aims to establish Christian dominion over American society and government.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Forecast guidance continues to show above-normal moisture levels associated with this storm.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Dozens of candidates ran for five open seats in the Chicago area, where funding from groups supporting Israel and the cryptocurrency industry played an outsize role.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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Bob Fioretti is the lone Republican running for attorney general and will likely go up against Raoul, who has been in office since 2019.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Though the sisters are supposedly first-generation Italian American, no whiff of the old country hangs about Kay; Dorothy will at least spit out a few words in Italian.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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A lot of the friction between Kay and Benton stems from the secret that has long bonded her with Pete.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
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All municipalities need to keep the undesignated fund balance at a certain level in order to maintain its credit rating and ability to bond.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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