mess around

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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

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 This retinol treatment doesn’t mess around. Maria Correa, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025 In other words, let your ad creatives do the work of targeting for you rather than messing around with audience filters. Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 Framework is not messing around. Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 Not messing around with different formations and trying to be too smart like GoN was. Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mess around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess around
Verb
  • Up in Scotland, meanwhile, marbles were lost as Rangers, who played most of the match with 10 men after an early red card for defender Robin Propper, hung on through a goalless battle with Athletic Club.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Drops were an issue, play strength due to smaller frame.
    Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Many White Lotus fans got an increasingly queasy feeling watching the siblings flirt with the boundaries of what is appropriate throughout the first half of Season 3.
    Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025
  • After suffering two embarrassing losses to bottom-four teams each conference, the Knicks flirted with losing a third, blowing a substantial lead against the 15-win Wizards before pulling away with a 122-103 victory at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Curiosity has traveled over 21 miles from its landing site since 2012, and has obtained multiple drill site samples from layers of Martian sediment beneath it.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
  • It is set years after the Fantastic Four—Reed Richards, his wife Sue Storm, her brother Johnny Storm, and their friend Ben Grimm—travel into space, encounter radiation, and return to earth with superpowers.
    Eliana Dockterman, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Plotwise, four teens who grew up with technology and like to fool around on their laptops invading various verboten sites and having a great time doing it one day happen upon a bright idea.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Those historic missions and the pioneers associated with them should not be forgotten.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Scroll down for a complete list of articles associated with this month’s challenge.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Drivers including Ken Miles, Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Bob Bondurant, and Carroll Shelby have also run the course.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Regardless of whether it is run by M+ or the HKMOA, transparency is important to both the art community and taxpayers.
    News Desk, Artforum, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.
    Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
  • Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.
    Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • And while Goofy is looking to bond with his son after Max gets into trouble at school, the latter just wants to get to Los Angeles to see his favorite rock star in concert to impress his school crush, Roxanne.
    Jen Juneau, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • After Brosnahan took home her Emmy statuette in 2018, Malek eventually approached her at a New York City music festival to bond over their good fortune involving Sherman-Palladino.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2025

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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 Apr. 2025.

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