muck about/around
phrasal verb
mucked about/around; mucking about/around; mucks about/around
British, informal
1
: to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious : to waste time
We just mucked about all afternoon.
2
: to be unfair or dishonest with (someone) : to lie to or cheat (someone)
I want them to stop mucking me around.
He's tired of being mucked about.
Examples of muck about/around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By dealing with them, the emotions won't muck around in the unconscious, stealthily interfering with our mental health and peace of mind.
—
Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
The Supreme Court does not muck around with Tax Court decisions very much.
—Peter J Reilly, Forbes, 26 May 2022
In an ideal world, every American would be getting quality journalism—news deserts would turn into lush sod for investigative reporters to muck around in.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2022
Considering all these new ways to muck about with a potential love interest’s head, is ghosting starting to feel long in the tooth?
—Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2021
As the stakes rise, so do the incentives for people to muck about, influence, or even replace A.I. algorithms with ones that better serve their interests.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 4 May 2023
Once a trail is built, maintainers deal with flooding, erosion and problems created by humans, who have a pernicious tendency to wander off a trail and muck about in fragile forest understory.
—Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2021
An hour and a half later, another volunteer found his other boot, stuck in the muck about 60 feet downstream.
—Katherine Laidlaw, Wired, 9 Sep. 2021
Some of the sludge settled in the Tarpon River, leaving a layer of muck about an inch thick, Fort Lauderdale officials say.
—Susannah Bryan, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Oct. 2020
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.
Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
The Supreme Court does not muck around with Tax Court decisions very much.
—Peter J Reilly, Forbes, 26 May 2022
In an ideal world, every American would be getting quality journalism—news deserts would turn into lush sod for investigative reporters to muck around in.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2022
Considering all these new ways to muck about with a potential love interest’s head, is ghosting starting to feel long in the tooth?
—Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2021
As the stakes rise, so do the incentives for people to muck about, influence, or even replace A.I. algorithms with ones that better serve their interests.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 4 May 2023
Once a trail is built, maintainers deal with flooding, erosion and problems created by humans, who have a pernicious tendency to wander off a trail and muck about in fragile forest understory.
—Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2021
An hour and a half later, another volunteer found his other boot, stuck in the muck about 60 feet downstream.
—Katherine Laidlaw, Wired, 9 Sep. 2021
Some of the sludge settled in the Tarpon River, leaving a layer of muck about an inch thick, Fort Lauderdale officials say.
—Susannah Bryan, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Oct. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near muck about/around
Cite this Entry
“Muck about/around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muck%20about%2Faround. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share