1
as in played
to spend time in aimless activity
spent the vacation day just messing around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flirted
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 associated
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 messed around
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
Adam Thompson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed around
Verb
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But the Heat was outscored 9-0 when Ware and Adebayo played alongside each other in the first half on Saturday.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
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People who were unexpectedly called to help with recovery operations, like McQueeney, played a key role in capturing the aftermath.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Yet one reason that Conan now rules the Oscars like the new Jimmy Kimmel, if not the new Billy Crystal, is that the jokes were trimmed of the cutting sharpness the Oscars have flirted with in the past.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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Betances, whose career was ultimately derailed by shoulder injuries, also flirted with triple-digit radar readings while earning four straight All-Star nods from 2014-2017.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The raids at Prime Social and Post Oak Poker Club led to the arrest of nine people associated with the clubs, according to ABC13.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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Rubio’s more traditional, interventionist posture has put him front and center on issues such as Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, while Vance has in the past been more closely associated with the party’s noninterventionist wing.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Our ideal client is well traveled and seeking more authentic experiences and off the radar destinations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
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Garrison traveled to Jacksonville to protest hoping to bring attention to her case and push for her release.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Authorities have not confirmed a motive or whether the two shootings are directly connected, but neighbors believe there may be a link.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
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The Temple Israel attack was perpetrated by an individual personally connected to the Middle East conflict — members of his family were killed in Lebanon during an Israeli strike.—
Joshua M. Davidson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Early in the season, Paul and Mortensen hooked up during a group trip to Los Angeles, which came just shy of a month before Paul returned to the area for The Bachelorette.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
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The video captures a car hooked up to a tow truck and what appears to be its owner running toward their vehicle.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Try it as a side dish to rice, mixed into a salad dressing to beef it up, or as a marinade.—
Jahnavi Rapaka,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
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Unleaded gasoline and diesel fuels were mixed in error at a Meijer Express fuel station in Macomb County, Michigan, the supermarket chain said Saturday.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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