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
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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The Celtics played without Tatum after he was ruled out about 90 minutes before tipoff with left knee stiffness.—
Kyle Hightower,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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Meanwhile, Ella was explaining to my mother why the teacher had sent a note home with her and recounting how her friend Stacy had played kitchen with a new girl during free time at school and allowed Ella to join them only for the cleanup part.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
Verb
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These Knicks run offense through Karl-Anthony Towns, who flirted with another triple-double before finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists on the night.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The Crimson Tide’s offense dominated in Game 1 with a 12-0 mercy-rule victory behind a two-hitter in the circle from Jocelyn Briski, but the Vols’ Sage Mardjetko flirted with a no-hitter in Game 2 to even the series.—
Molly Keshin,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Participants learned the locations of fifty objects; each was associated with a distinct noise.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Prosecutors said that the victim, who isn't associated with any gangs, suffered cognitive and vision issues for several months after the assault.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
30 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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Since 2015, there have been 23 balls hit with an exit velocity of 91 mph or softer that traveled 360 feet and cleared an outfield wall in any ballpark.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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On Saturday night, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to Cauca and pledged a crackdown on terrorism.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ditto for Brayden Point, who scored one goal in his final 11 regular-season games and hasn’t connected yet at five-on-five in this series.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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There was also no evidence that these firms or any of their lawyers are connected to the González Silvera case.—
Albinson Linares,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 1932, the inventor Alois Benjamin Saliger patented the Psycho-phone, a phonograph hooked up to a timer which could play recordings while a person was asleep.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Consumption was even lower in communities not hooked up to water supplies, as little as 26 liters a day, well below the 50 to 100 liters recommended as a minimum by the World Health Organization.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Neighborhood response Feedback from residents, behind the scenes and in public meetings, has been mixed.—
Sofi Zeman
May 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
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Designed by the label’s then creative director, Olivier Rousteing, the unorthodox gown was sculpted based on a cast of Tyla’s body, then created out of three different colors of sand mixed with micro-crystal studs, providing extra sparkle down to the tip of her mermaid train.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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