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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Then in spring training this year, Hollowell again messed around with different changeup grips while incorporating mental cues from previous coaches, and something clicked with a circle-change grip. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed around

Verb

Husted played college football as a cornerback for the University of Dayton.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
But that doesn’t tell the full story either, as Seattle has played part of the season with backup Drew Lock and hasn’t yet lost by more than three points.

— Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of played

Verb

Such is the inverted morality of this world that Hesione is relieved to learn that Ellie has in fact arranged an assignation with the handsome Hector, who has flirted with the young woman under a flagrant alias.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
And by early Monday afternoon, Brent crude, the world benchmark, flirted with five-month highs around $110 a barrel.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of flirted

Verb

Lubelo has also persuaded several friends to join the school, becoming something of an ambassador in a community where magic is often frowned upon and associated with witchcraft.

— Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Also protect the email account associated with your Social Security profile because criminals may target it to reset other passwords.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of associated

Verb

As the Chiefs traveled to Sao Paolo, Brazil, for their season opener in 2025, their former first-round pick could hardly leave his couch.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
The Sultan of Oman was met in London by Prince William on Tuesday morning before the pair travelled together to Windsor, where the majority of the royal engagements took place.

— Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of traveled

Verb

Since then, he’s kicked around with HAIM while turning one third of its Los Angelino triumvirate, Alana Haim, into a screen actress.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Every single night, through that winter, spring and summer, Caldwell and Rothstein kicked around potential game situations and ideas for how to approach them.

— Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of kicked around

Verb

The dish machine was not running properly and the chemical sanitizer/soap dispensers have not been connected yet.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
In August, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Police recovered 123 boxes of McLaren F1 Lego sets valued at about $230 each connected to a boxcar burglary, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of connected

Verb

Dropkicks got hooked up with the Guthrie estate more than 20 years ago, thanks to Cole Quest, Guthrie’s grandson.

— Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
For those who didn’t watch the popular teen drama, Hale’s Aria hooked up with Harding’s Ezra in a bar bathroom during the show’s pilot episode.

— Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of hooked up

Browse Nearby Words

messed

messed around

messed over

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Messed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20around. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of messed around

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

reticent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes