mess around with (something)
idiom
informal
1
: to use or do (something) in a way that is not very serious
I'm not really a painter; I just like to mess around with paints.
She spent the evening messing around with the computer.
2
: to handle or play with (something) in a careless or foolish way
Stop messing around with the stereo.
Examples of mess around with (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Battle League launched a little bit light on content, with only a few stadiums to mess around with, simplified gameplay compared to past games in the series, and a small selection of characters.
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William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Instead, a show that wants to purposefully mess around with its own patterns also can’t help but fall back into some unfortunate old grooves.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025
Cincinnatians don't mess around with holiday cheer.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 6 Dec. 2024
Players will be able to mess around with the character creation and design their character and Palico.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mess around with (something)
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William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Instead, a show that wants to purposefully mess around with its own patterns also can’t help but fall back into some unfortunate old grooves.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025
Cincinnatians don't mess around with holiday cheer.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 6 Dec. 2024
Players will be able to mess around with the character creation and design their character and Palico.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mess around with (something)
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Cite this Entry
“Mess around with (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20around%20with%20%28something%29. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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