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messing around

NOUN
dalliance
Synonyms
STRONGEST
fling
STRONG
affair relationship seduction toying
WEAK
a little on the side amorous play carrying-on fooling around frolicking hanky-panky working late at office
Antonyms
WEAK
hastening hurrying push rush

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.

They need to know you’re not messing around.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

“If you’re a company who’s messing around with these types of practices on consumers, you’re watching how well they work,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive think tank.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Naylor, meanwhile, says he was just messing around.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The witness described how Harvey and the defendant had been pushing each other at break time earlier that day, but he thought they were just "messing around".

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2025

You got no rights messing around in here at all.

From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck