mess around

verb

Definition of mess aroundnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of mess around Take note at the point in a song when the real dancers stop messing around. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Shortly after Bednar began messing around with a splitter, Eric Junge, San Diego’s pitching coordinator, informed him that Hideo Nomo had arrived in camp. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026 These folks aren’t messing around; everyone is willing to shell out for the best possible experience. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026 Gifted great field position again, the Buffs didn’t mess around — or get cute. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
  1. play
  2. flirt
  3. travel
  4. fool around
  5. associate
  6. hang about
  7. run
  8. kick around
Verb
  • All the more reason for leaders to play the generosity sweepstakes in ways that are advantageous to them.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The case has led to calls for tougher oversight of churches and other religious organizations in a country where religious faith plays a prominent role in public life.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of play
Verb
  • Her character has a romantic tension with Dennison, and despite plotting an affair, the pair only flirt and never act on it.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • After flirting with near-record heat in recent days, Kansas City will get a cool, gray taste of fall on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of flirt
Verb
  • These clots can travel to the lungs and stop blood flow, leading to a pulmonary embolism.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Caltrans said the deck replacement is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the bridge and improve safety for maintenance workers, truck drivers and the traveling public.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of travel
Verb
  • As Marshall and Alice consider one another and then start to fool around, the sequence feels organic and dangerous without being forced.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of fool around
Verb
  • Commonly associated with environmental risk factors such as smoking or exposure to hazards like radon, the rare but aggressively fast-growing condition gets its name from the unusually tiny appearance of its cells.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Latte Life, which is associated with Life Unlimited, opened Monday at 318 Armour Rd.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of associate
Verb
  • President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • On Monday, May 18, a 7%-illuminated crescent will hang about two degrees from Venus, with Jupiter about 20 degrees above.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of hang about
Verb
  • Damn it, the string of excellent Survivor episodes where the votes and strategies kept changing as people ran around and politicked is now over.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Serhii Sternenko, who runs a foundation supplying drones to Ukrainian forces and previously served as an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, also reported the Starlink speed limits and later said the speeds were being limited even further.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of run
Verb
  • In other words, the idea of turning roads into giant wireless chargers has been kicking around for years, and some projects are now producing encouraging results rather than just concept illustrations.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask has been kicking around Allure editors’ nightstands for years, and judging by its 2025 Readers’ Choice Award, plenty of you are just as hooked.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of kick around

Browse Nearby Words

messaging
mess around
messed
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Cite this Entry

“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20around. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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