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
Dragstrem, who focuses more on production, has messed around with it but was left unsatisfied; McGill, who’s more lyrics-driven, wants nothing to do with the tech.
—
Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026
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
Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed around
Verb
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The game was played in Texas but Knicks fans gathered at watch parties across the city to witness the team battle back in the fourth quarter to take the title.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Although the championship-clinching game was played thousands of miles away, police maintained a large presence around Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' home arena.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The Colts flirted with Indiana secretly, but the Bears are doing so boldly, and none of this makes sense.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Outside of Narnia, Netflix has somewhat flirted with theatrical.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The source also said Bessent has directed his team to assess conditions in the Gulf and request comprehensive estimates of costs associated with such repairs.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Though the Roberts family’s attorneys have insisted that the buyers and sellers are in accord, preservation advocates in Riverside have called for a review of documents associated with Roberts’ purchase of the property.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 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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The Cabrera family from Chicago traveled to Miami to attend Monday’s match and the Sunday game between Uruguay and Cape Verde.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
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The Ranch consists of a selective bunch of professionals that work seamlessly, cohesively together, allowing the Ranch to run efficiently for the guests who traveled from far and near to visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Near a door leading to a loading dock, a group of players on the host Vegas Golden Knights — including forward Mitch Marner, who went on to score a regulation hat trick in a 5-4 win — stood in a circle and kicked around a soccer ball.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
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Fans draped themselves in Haitian flags and danced to upbeat compas music while children kicked around soccer balls at the small meet-and-greet.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Ben Williamson connected early for his second career homer.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Research suggests that career achievement and mental health are deeply connected.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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During one cognitive session, he was hooked up to brain-monitoring technology while watching a documentary and speaking with a specialist.—
Melinda Fulmer,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
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On Tuesday, June 9, the influencer posted a photo of her and Conner at the visitation for their late child, who died at 8 months old from multiple organ failure after having spent most of her life hooked up to hospital machines for her congenital heart defect.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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