messing over

verb

present participle of mess over, slang
as in abusing
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon her no-good boyfriend has been messing her over for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing over
  1. abusing
  2. bullying
  3. kicking around
Verb
  • Separately, the Texas House impeached him in 2023 on charges of bribery, corruption, and abusing his office.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The actor’s ex-husband Olivier Martinez was granted the order earlier this month after accusing the star of physically abusing their teenage son.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • Junior faculty and staff faced more workplace bullying from peers.
    — Jason Walker, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Police said the father, Thomas Frimprong, 60, has told NYPD detectives two fellow students had recently been suspended for bullying his son.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • In other words, the idea of turning roads into giant wireless chargers has been kicking around for years, and some projects are now producing encouraging results rather than just concept illustrations.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask has been kicking around Allure editors’ nightstands for years, and judging by its 2025 Readers’ Choice Award, plenty of you are just as hooked.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of kicking around
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.

Browse Nearby Words

messing around
messing over
messing (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Messing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20over. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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