1
as in fiddling (around)
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 flirting
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 traveling
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 messing around
Cycling can be guilty of prioritising traditionalism above all else — and there were individuals in the sport who dismissed them as YouTubers messing around, racing against genuine riders fighting to make a living.
—
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026
All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
The Lakers weren’t messing around during the film sessions or practices.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Following the global success of The Housemaid, Lionsgate is not messing around with its upcoming sequel.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
So, get ready to travel to Sweden for a taste of adolescence full of smiles, tears, dancing, messing around – and skateboards.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Morgan had been messing around with a curveball, but didn’t actually throw it until a workout at Petco Park a week before the draft.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Soon afterward, however, at a Red Bull event in Austria, Goepper began messing around on a quarterpipe.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026
All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
The Lakers weren’t messing around during the film sessions or practices.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Following the global success of The Housemaid, Lionsgate is not messing around with its upcoming sequel.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
So, get ready to travel to Sweden for a taste of adolescence full of smiles, tears, dancing, messing around – and skateboards.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Morgan had been messing around with a curveball, but didn’t actually throw it until a workout at Petco Park a week before the draft.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Soon afterward, however, at a Red Bull event in Austria, Goepper began messing around on a quarterpipe.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing around
Verb
-
The White Sox were flirting with first place in the American League Central on Tuesday, trailing the Cleveland Guardians by a half-game.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
All this league flirting and dealmaking with streaming services is under scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to determine if the league is violating its antitrust exemption.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Did the connotations of travelling with Spirit carry a sense of embarrassment?—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Residents of multiple countries, including the United States, are being monitored for hantavirus after traveling on the MV Hondius, an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship now tied to several cases of the virus.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Thanks for playing — and share your scores in the comments!—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Paul and Barlow spent several minutes in the second half playing in the frontcourt, giving Nurse options to switch seamlessly while playing small when other Sixers bigs dealt with foul trouble.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Harvard University’s president and four other administrators formed what became known as the Secret Court to investigate students suspected of being gay or associating with gay students.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
Does that ever give you pause about associating yourself so fully with one brand?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
This is one of the league’s best coaches and one of the league’s most prominent reporters hooking up for at least six years.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Like hooking up with your ex even though you’ll be left emotionally unraveling and picking up the pieces afterwards.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then the Knicks coach, Mike Brown, tweaked the offense, running more of it through Towns, and the team became a juggernaut.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
People running this Daily News must live in a parallel universe.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.—
Elliott Harrell,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Orion Nebula Those viewing from a dark sky location may also notice a blurry patch of light hanging about 5 degrees below Orion's belt.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20around. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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