MESSED AROUND Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

messed around

verb

past tense of mess around

as in played

to spend time in aimless activity spent the vacation day just messing around

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in flirted

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

as in associated

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 messed around In the email, Dixon suggested that the fire department employee may have messed around with the department's equipment. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026 Dragstrem, who focuses more on production, has messed around with it but was left unsatisfied; McGill, who’s more lyrics-driven, wants nothing to do with the tech. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed around

Verb

Kelce played a bully of a restaurant manager who fires a busboy (played by Bad Bunny).

— Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 July 2026
She has been featured in various TV shows, including an English show called Upstairs, Downstairs (1971), and played Desdemona in Broadway’s Othello before retiring in the early 1980s, per the Walt Disney Archives.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026

Definition of played

Verb

The most recent season also revealed that Wilson flirted with Miller throughout the summer, raising her hopes for a possible reconciliation, only to hook up with her best friend months later.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 29 June 2026
So was the back-and-forth between the Norwegian golfer and Scheffler, who briefly flirted with a 59 on Friday.

— Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026

Definition of flirted

Verb

Typically, El Niño is associated with wetter-than-normal conditions during the winter in Southern California.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
By triggering the release of a natural growth factor in the brain and modulating neural pathways associated with addiction and reward, ibogaine restores healthy dopamine function and reduces cravings, Barsuglia said.

— Gavin Escott, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of associated

Verb

The Royals allowed three runs on a baseball that traveled all of 39 feet and made three throwing errors on one play.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
The Kansas City Royals committed three errors on one Carson Benge comebacker in the first inning at Citi Field on Tuesday night, turning a ball that traveled maybe 50 feet into three New York Mets runs.

— Tim Britton, New York Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of traveled

Verb

No balls were kicked around, but a first impression was made about a pitch that’s cropped tighter than a Pebble Beach fairway yet in impressive shape after four games over 11 days.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
Near a door leading to a loading dock, a group of players on the host Vegas Golden Knights — including forward Mitch Marner, who went on to score a regulation hat trick in a 5-4 win — stood in a circle and kicked around a soccer ball.

— Peter Baugh, New York Times, 8 June 2026

Definition of kicked around

Verb

A-list musicians, celebrities, sports players, and Hollywood stars made up the 1,000-person guest list, proving just how connected the superstar and NFL player are in their respective circles.

— Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026
Hunt withdrew a previous endorsement of Platner after the Times story last month and was connected with Racicot soon afterward to offer her support.

— Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of connected

Verb

Ciara alleged that the pair hooked up under a social media post featuring a video of Jenn defending her ex in May.

— Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
The cooling stations are large 20 foot by 25 foot container boxes hooked up to a generator that can comfortably fit about 20 people, Spearo said.

— Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Definition of hooked up

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messed

messed around

messed over

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“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of messed around

verb

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