as in cheating
to be sexually unfaithful
he hired a private detective because he thought his wife was screwing around
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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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He has not been formally charged with cheating by World Curling, which does not use video to review game play.—
STEVE DOUGLAS,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Canada's curling team has fired back at Sweden after the Swedes accused the Canadians of cheating at the Winter Olympics.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fear of stepping out of their houses, going to work, grocery shopping and even practicing their religion.—
Yahya Salem,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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He was seen stepping out of his vehicle at his sister Annie's home.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwing%20around. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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