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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess around
Other standouts include a Maybelline mascara and a Black and Decker handheld vacuum, which makes quick work of small messes around the house and in the car.
—
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Roger would go out and kind of mess around right before the tournament.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No messing around — just wham, bam, thank you, GLAM!
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Roger would go out and kind of mess around right before the tournament.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No messing around — just wham, bam, thank you, GLAM!
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
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Rafaela played several positions for the Red Sox and subbed in games in later innings before making his first career start, at Bogaerts’ old spot.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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Ayton competes internationally for the Bahamas, last playing for the national team during the 2024 Olympic qualifying process.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then their subject starts to flirt with the idea of disengaging and moving to a like-minded nudist community, even relocating for a few days to test the new setup out.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Some participants go home with a new connection, and others flirt a little and then buy some books, Clark Delgado says.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Epstein frequently traveled there, according to DOJ documents, and Barrack was involved in multiple real estate deals involving Middle Eastern governments.—
Daniel Ruetenik,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Studying auroras is important, because they are associated with geomagnetic storms, which can cause all kinds of technical issues for satellites in space, as well as endanger astronauts.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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On average, increasing land-use mix by 20% was associated with a 7% relative increase in short-distance trips.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Microsoft’s $50 billion investment will, among other things, help to build the data centers crucial to providing the computing power needed to run AI models.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Moe’s Nuggets ran and dared the rest of the NBA to catch up.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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The hot air just hangs about, causing the dish to cook unevenly with some spots nearly raw and others burnt.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Using a proprietary adhesive called Pixel and heat, textiles are bonded together.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Feb. 2026
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The men were Midwest Baptist ministers bonded in a crusade for civil rights.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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