as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messing
Stop messing with Wedgie, already.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Why are people messing with those cute little robots?
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
The weather keeps messing with the White Sox schedule.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The robots are messing with that math.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2026
But now, with its Major League Baseball opening night rights, the streamer is messing with the wrong fan base.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Tulane’s other big contingent, activist investors, have been a bit defanged by AI, which is messing with companies’ strategies and their ability to credibly critique them.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump reportedly enjoys 'messing with' journalists who contact his personal number.
—FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Pass the legislation and stop messing with our circadian rhythms.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Why are people messing with those cute little robots?
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
The weather keeps messing with the White Sox schedule.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The robots are messing with that math.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2026
But now, with its Major League Baseball opening night rights, the streamer is messing with the wrong fan base.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Tulane’s other big contingent, activist investors, have been a bit defanged by AI, which is messing with companies’ strategies and their ability to credibly critique them.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump reportedly enjoys 'messing with' journalists who contact his personal number.
—FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Pass the legislation and stop messing with our circadian rhythms.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing
Verb
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Several legislative efforts are currently underway to keep the federal government from interfering in California elections.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The pattern of stripes shows that the photon’s two interfering paths are wave-like, also suggesting that a quantum particle behaves much like a wave.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Martha Stewart, however—perhaps the least likely superstar to do so—is poking holes in that fantasy, giving us an iconic new selfie that feels wildly relatable to anyone familiar with the mayhem of getting ready.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2026
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Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This leads to a lively scene where Carl and his glowering right-hand man make an impromptu visit to Hypergnosis headquarters and demand a demonstration of Duncan’s snooping network.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
-
When Sonny eventually passes out, Chee starts doing some snooping around.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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