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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Takaoka played a long arcing ball-ahead to Ocampo, who avoided goalkeeper James Pantemis — who had charged off his line — and rolled a shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the back post and into a wide-open net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The Current’s still one of the most talented teams in the league, boasting such USWNT veterans as Cooper, Sentnor and LaBonta, along with women who’ve played for other countries — Lorena and midfielder Rocky Rodriguez (Costa Rica), for instance.—
PJ Green
April 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 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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Intermediaries directly connected to, and in at least one case compensated by, Musk have circulated dozens of pages of detailed opposition research about Altman.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Snow crews with Keystone worked to keep terrain connected through the end of the season, despite limited snow.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
6 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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In this technique, plants are suspended in air with a spray of water mixed with minerals applied to their roots every few seconds.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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Officials contacted Maywood's water reclamation because chemicals in the building may have mixed with the water and entered the sewage.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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