as in cheating
to be sexually unfaithful
he hired a private detective because he thought his wife was screwing around
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwing around
What if some big musician is screwing around at sound check and sings one of [Spinal Tap’s] songs.
—
Melinda Newman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Melinda Newman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwing around
Verb
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Emotionally cheating may hurt more than physically cheating.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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The next global square date will take place on January 1, 2036, or 01/01/2036, which feels a bit like cheating since both versions yield 1012036 (1006 x 1006).—
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Days before stepping out to Wimbledon, Rodrigo, also 22, performed a headlining set at Glastonbury Festival on June 29, and Partridge watched from the wings.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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Sure, Levy still has uncertain reservations about stepping out of his comfort zone, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the luxury hotel reservations made for him, as well as his newfound appreciation for indelible adventures.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwing%20around. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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