as in abusing
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
her no-good boyfriend has been messing her over for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing over
Verb
-
The Federal Trade Commission, 18 states and Puerto Rico have accused the company of abusing its market position to inflate prices on other online retail platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026 -
The foster parents and their adult daughter pleaded guilty to abusing children in their care.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Unfortunately, Trump’s bullying style of diplomacy does not engender a willingness by allies and friends to step forward and provide assistance to our efforts in Iran.—
Tom Jurkowsky,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
-
His campaign is gaining momentum at a time when many of the administration’s steadfast Christian backers—alarmed by the president’s bullying campaign against Pope Leo XIV in recent weeks, among other heresies—have been rethinking their support.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Odenkirk and Kolstad have begun kicking around ideas for extending the character into an ongoing franchise.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Although the likes of the Go Go’s and the Cars are present at times, the soundtrack as a whole seems too staid to provide a backdrop for ’80s kids kicking around in the heyday of punk.—
Gina Friedlande,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Messing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20over. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
