1
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
spent the vacation day just messing around
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to travel
to come or be together as friends
if you continue to mess around with such narrow-minded boobs, you'll begin to think and act like them
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess around
Not messing around with different formations and trying to be too smart like GoN was.
—
Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
The soap comes in a refillable EZ-Squeeze bottle that is cap-down (similar to Dawn Platinum), which contributes to less mess around the dispenser.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
The boy rolled his eyes in boredom, and then began to mess around, putting his fingers in his dad’s ears as Musk struggled to listen to reporters’ questions.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Feb. 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
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
The soap comes in a refillable EZ-Squeeze bottle that is cap-down (similar to Dawn Platinum), which contributes to less mess around the dispenser.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
The boy rolled his eyes in boredom, and then began to mess around, putting his fingers in his dad’s ears as Musk struggled to listen to reporters’ questions.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Feb. 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
See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
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Engage Your Senses In a shared office environment, playing loud music or lighting a scented candle is frowned upon.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Goodrich leads all scorers with 39 points in the 106-98 loss at Chicago. 1972 — Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Instead, Steven Kwan flirted with .400 at one point before finishing with a .292 average.—
Johnny Flores Jr.,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Fewer bonding experiences: Dancing, flirting, laughing over drinks — these are all ways humans historically release stress and build intimacy, even in short bursts.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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If any of the men in black and white lacked motivation, the merest glances to the fans who’d traveled in their droves from the North-east would refuel them in an instant.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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In the seventeenth century, for example, people of all classes made pilgrimages to temples and shrines, visited hot springs for health reasons, and traveled to see the sights of the country.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Those who crave the thrill of a victory may embody the competitor. Bigger, bolder personalities may shine as jokers, always fooling around, or as storytellers, bringing imagination to life.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN,
23 Feb. 2025
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While Mark and Helly were fooling around, Helly wasn’t fulfilling her promise to go get the directions Irving left tucked behind Dylan’s motivational poster.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The samples are being tested for carcinogens associated with wildfires that burn into urban areas.—
John Bonifield,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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Here are 5 ways to store and organize recipe cards along with three ways to preserve their handwriting and the fond memories associated.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For an extra clean, run the empty machine on its highest temperature setting without detergent.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
30 Mar. 2025
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The Cubs are an intriguing running team because of their mix of speed and base-stealing ability — Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner in particular — with veterans who have shown high IQ on base, a group that includes Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker and Dansby Swanson.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
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The big picture: The nine-block shopping district got its own Art Deco-style sign on Monday, which now hangs about 25 feet in the air over Cary Street by Burtons Grill & Bar.—
Sabrina Moreno,
Axios,
1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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After this, everyone met in the paddock, were instructors and participants brought the three horses, Lulu, Churro, and Warrior, to groom them and start bonding with them, by taking the time to understand each other.—
Maïna Durafour,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2025
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That is also the ideal time-frame to bond with new owners.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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