mess around

verb

messed around; messing around; messes around
Synonyms of mess aroundnext

intransitive verb

1
: to waste time : dawdle, idle
2
a
: associate
didn't mess around with gangs

Examples of mess around in a Sentence

spent the vacation day just messing around a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Thunder don’t want to mess around. David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The Lakers weren’t messing around during the film sessions or practices. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 Crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside, this sandwich doesn't mess around. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026 While the directors mess around with genre in each chapter and the cast differs from story to story, the six narratives are given a sense of consistency courtesy of the unique Coen voice. James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mess around

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mess around was in 1918

Cite this Entry

“Mess around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/mess%20around. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

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