messes around

present tense third-person singular of mess around
1
2
as in flirts
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of messes around As far as home finds, pick up this fall-scented candle and a lightweight handheld vacuum to tackle quick messes around the house. Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messes around
Verb
  • That sensibility is countered by Dina’s, who plays the romantic foil to Liberty’s pessimist.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The score was composed by Nitin Sawney and performed by a 60-piece orchestra, while a 200-strong cast plays over 500 characters across 198 chapters and 700-plus scenes.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Reeves flirts with Michael Douglas territory in this Eli Roth erotic thriller that’s not especially good but is interesting as an acting exercise.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Columbus, Ohio, could approach its daily record high of 83 degrees Saturday, while San Antonio, Texas, flirts with a daily record of 93 degrees.
    Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As someone who travels at least twice a month, my go-to sweater styles are lightweight options that don’t take up too much room in my luggage.
    Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Richard Linklater‘s Nouvelle Vague time-travels to the moment right before modern cinema’s big bang, when the French New Wave crested and Godard’s Breathless would change everything.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Everyone associates that with us.
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Hunger can be another motivator, especially if your feline associates certain times or behaviors with food.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, his sister Audrey (anatasia Phillips) secretly hooks up with his best friend Backwoods (Daniel Petronijevic), while beloved site manager Chelsea (Jennifer Spence) faces an uncomfortable truth when Jenn Conch (Jennifer Irwin) returns to Imperial Valley and wants to fit in.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Jeremiah continues to struggle with his breakup from Belly and hooks up with Steven and Taylor's friends.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Its Ember 2 mug, which has a heating element right inside and connects to a handy app, is now out in some new colorways.
    Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Other highlights include a living room sporting a wood-burning stove, a dining area that connects to a kitchen outfitted with open shelving and stainless appliances, and a bath equipped with a porcelain tub.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Half-brothers Wirt and Greg certainly have their disagreements during their journey through the Unknown, but what bonds them in the end, like Lucy carrying her tired little brother Linus home to bed in Great Pumpkin, is fathomless love.
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Since the split, sources told People that the actress bonds with their two daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The hot air just hangs about, causing the dish to cook unevenly with some spots nearly raw and others burnt.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Messes around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes%20around. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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