mess around

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But “it’s not something that you want to mess around with.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

"Alan makes a good point about how everyone wants to mess around on the ball these days," Sutton explained.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

“We have an ironclad rule at IMAX, which is that our word is our word and we won’t mess around with that,” the CEO said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

The Fried Chicken Club salad doesn’t mess around either — crispy fried chicken crackling with every bite, tangled in mixed greens, smoky shards of bacon and bold blue cheese crumbles.

From Salon • May 19, 2025

“Sure, kid,” the baker replied, surveying the mess around him.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff