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
Around March, during a session with Allen and Slatkin, Maddell started messing around with chords to pair with an acoustic that Slatkin had at the ready.
—
Josh Glicksman, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
Randall Art likes to mess around sometimes.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2025
So for example Joule, our digital assistant, cannot mess around with compliance checks on travel and on sourcing, or on directing the flow of materials.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
And this slasher Santa Claus doesn't mess around, using an axe and a shotgun with deadly intention and also down for impaling people on deer antlers.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Josh Glicksman, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
Randall Art likes to mess around sometimes.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2025
So for example Joule, our digital assistant, cannot mess around with compliance checks on travel and on sourcing, or on directing the flow of materials.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
And this slasher Santa Claus doesn't mess around, using an axe and a shotgun with deadly intention and also down for impaling people on deer antlers.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
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Still, that isn’t a factor when considering how hard and inspired the Broncos played in front of a ninth straight sellout crowd at Albertsons Stadium.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Sep. 2025
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Though his interests were that of a pretty typical child — computing and gaming, playing the saxophone, enjoying soccer and time with his pets — he was also known for his acts of kindness and generosity.—
Lauren Costantino
September 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond briefly flirted with 5 percent this week but has risen over the past month much less than other government bonds.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Deeper Conversation People who flirt through deeper conversation are likely prioritizing emotional connections.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Holiday star was traveling with his wife, Phillipa Coan, according to the Daily Mail, which obtained footage of the fall.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The discovery highlighted the lengths some mammals will travel to find resources during sweltering summer months.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Of course, with a luxury experience also comes a luxurious price tag and the cost of tickets won’t be the kind of budget fares people most associate with bus travel.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
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Consuming 400 grams of dairy daily was associated with a 2% increase in risk.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Surround it with pumpkins, fashion it in front of a garland strand, or place it on a velvet table running across the manteltop to tie the whole look together.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
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This look is perfect for landing in a style-conscious city like Paris or Chicago and hitting the ground running without needing a quick change in the airport bathroom.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Few things bond a team like winning a Champions League, and no doubt Slegers has them laser-focused.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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That’s not to say that there’s no warmth, though — bonding with my band (the amazing Sarah Register, Camilla Charlesworth, and Madi Vogt) and seeing old friends.—
Kim Gordon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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