1
as in played
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 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
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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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Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
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Suffice it to say that eventually the tale of childhood catches up with the adult Sasha (played by Amy Zimmer), a filmmaker, who attempts to make sense of her past and Jeremy’s fate by undertaking her own investigation, at several decades’ remove.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seasoned golfers Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples flirted with the cut line while Arizona State senior Jose Luis Ballester relieved himself in Rae’s Creek near the 13th tee.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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Kelce has flirted with retirement the past two offseasons, but two straight disappointing finishes for the Chiefs may have played a role in his decision to come back one last time this fall.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to prosecutors, Schooley had connections to Persia’s family, including performing construction work at her stepfather’s home and a business associated with him.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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More than just Southern fish While fish fries are often associated with the South, Robinson said the event is intentionally broader, rooted in the global Black experience.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 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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Many evangelicals of Hatmaker’s generation have travelled the same path of pointed questioning—not just about specific verses or churches but about their whole cultural milieu.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The viaducts that constitute the freeway, one of the most traveled in the Bay Area, are 71 years old and carry thousands of vehicles daily.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One of the law firms defending the trucking companies tallied fifty-three accidents that were connected to Motta and other attorneys with offices at 525 Clay Street.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Paul trained his project with 25,000 pictures of soil and connected it with an autonomous irrigation system that decides how much water the garden should receive.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The phones aren’t hooked up for service, but the booths do serve a purpose.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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The studio — microphones and a mixing board hooked up to a computer — is on the first floor of McIntire’s home.—
Allen G. Breed,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When mixed with compost or fertilizer, flaxseeds can help retain moisture for your pots and containers.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
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Traders showed little initial reaction to the report, with stock market futures slightly higher and Treasury yields mixed.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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