1
as in fiddling (around)
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 flirting
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 traveling
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messing around
All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.
—
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
Winners Week 1 in primetime The schedule makers weren’t messing around with the opening week of games under the lights.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The Lakers weren’t messing around during the film sessions or practices.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Following the global success of The Housemaid, Lionsgate is not messing around with its upcoming sequel.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
So, get ready to travel to Sweden for a taste of adolescence full of smiles, tears, dancing, messing around – and skateboards.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Morgan had been messing around with a curveball, but didn’t actually throw it until a workout at Petco Park a week before the draft.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Soon afterward, however, at a Red Bull event in Austria, Goepper began messing around on a quarterpipe.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
Winners Week 1 in primetime The schedule makers weren’t messing around with the opening week of games under the lights.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The Lakers weren’t messing around during the film sessions or practices.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Following the global success of The Housemaid, Lionsgate is not messing around with its upcoming sequel.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
So, get ready to travel to Sweden for a taste of adolescence full of smiles, tears, dancing, messing around – and skateboards.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Morgan had been messing around with a curveball, but didn’t actually throw it until a workout at Petco Park a week before the draft.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Soon afterward, however, at a Red Bull event in Austria, Goepper began messing around on a quarterpipe.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing around
Verb
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Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s JJ Harel soared 7-2 to defend his state high jump title, flirting with a 45-year-old record.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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In all their years sharing the screen, Benson and Stabler have never gone beyond flirting with the idea of a romantic relationship.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Best Women’s Clothing Deals My favorite part of traveling, besides the destination itself, is curating the ultimate travel wardrobe that perfectly matches the vibe of the trip.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
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That’s where parachutes made of nylon and Kevlar are stitched together for everything from space capsules coming back to land on Earth or one day traveling to the surface of Mars or dropping military personnel on beachheads around the world.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Like Van Ness, Morgan is a former first-round pick who hasn’t yet lived up to that billing but has a chance to do so this season while playing the most pivotal role of his career so far.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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For the first time in nearly two decades, the Eagle Rock softball team will be playing in a CIF LA City Section title game.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to recent polling by the firm Meganálisis, Rodríguez continues to face deeply negative approval ratings, with many Venezuelans still associating the interim government with corruption, repression and economic collapse linked to the final years of Chavismo.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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As a brand built on ethical fashion on a mission to improve the industry, Everlane—and its CEO—has sold its soul to the devil by associating itself with one (if not the) most polluting fast-fashion player in the world.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Waddingham is less enthused about the idea of Ted (played by Sudeikis) and Rebecca hooking up, despite some of the fan base fantasizing about the prospect.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 May 2026
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This isn’t just like hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
26 May 2026
Verb
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But at the State meet, officials alternated between sticking to the normal race schedule and running the 2 mile early in the meet and the mile later as had been the case in 1974 at the State meet in Bakersfield.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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The tiny house also has several optional upgrades available, including running fully off-grid.—
Adam Williams
May 30,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Verb
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In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.—
Elliott Harrell,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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Orion Nebula Those viewing from a dark sky location may also notice a blurry patch of light hanging about 5 degrees below Orion's belt.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20around. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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