as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messing
But now, with its Major League Baseball opening night rights, the streamer is messing with the wrong fan base.
—
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Tulane’s other big contingent, activist investors, have been a bit defanged by AI, which is messing with companies’ strategies and their ability to credibly critique them.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump reportedly enjoys 'messing with' journalists who contact his personal number.
—FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Pass the legislation and stop messing with our circadian rhythms.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
If a co-worker interrupts a research stretch, calmly propose another time to avoid offending them or messing with your pre-set schedule.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
Carolina Panthers tight end returns on 1-year deal Turns out the Panthers aren’t messing much with their tight end group during this free agency negotiation period.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
Maduro kept messing with Venezuela’s elections.
—Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
Distractions may try to confuse us, but sticking to the practical facts should stop them from messing things up.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Tulane’s other big contingent, activist investors, have been a bit defanged by AI, which is messing with companies’ strategies and their ability to credibly critique them.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump reportedly enjoys 'messing with' journalists who contact his personal number.
—FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Pass the legislation and stop messing with our circadian rhythms.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
If a co-worker interrupts a research stretch, calmly propose another time to avoid offending them or messing with your pre-set schedule.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
Carolina Panthers tight end returns on 1-year deal Turns out the Panthers aren’t messing much with their tight end group during this free agency negotiation period.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
Maduro kept messing with Venezuela’s elections.
—Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
Distractions may try to confuse us, but sticking to the practical facts should stop them from messing things up.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing
Verb
-
The next shower to peak is the Eta Aquariids on May 5-6, when sky-gazers can expect to see less than 10 meteors per hour because of the interfering moonlight, according to the American Meteor Society.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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Bonta filed an emergency petition with the state Fourth Court of Appeals on Monday to stop Bianco, a candidate in the 2026 governor’s race, after Bianco seized 657,322 ballots and accused Bonta of interfering in his office’s investigation into voter fraud.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
-
His father came around the corner in time to see his arms poking up above the rim, a cartoon character in need of rescue.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When Sonny eventually passes out, Chee starts doing some snooping around.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Thornton, a vice president of strategic communications who has worked downtown for 17 years, including a decade with AIMCLEAR, was no stranger to snooping on behalf of his colleagues and his employer.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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