mess with
phrasal verb
messed with; messing with; messes with
informal
1
: to cause trouble for (someone) : to deal with (someone) in a way that may cause anger or violence
I wouldn't want to mess with him.
You'd better not be messing with me.
2
chiefly US
: to deal with or be involved with (something that causes or that could cause trouble)
The company doesn't want to mess with small distributors.
He doesn't want to mess with cocaine anymore.
3
: to handle or play with (something) in a careless way : to mess around with (something)
Don't mess with the camera.
Examples of mess with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cabin air pressure actually dehydrates skin, which can then mess with your skin's protective barrier, leading to irritation and breakouts.
—
Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Things didn’t pan out that way as Williams found herself in the middle of this mess with Eady.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 June 2025
While scoring remains high compared to historical norms (teams are combining for a little under 14 runs per game overall), why mess with a seemingly good thing?
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 30 May 2025
But since then, Carmichael’s work has been distinguished by his investment in messing with the form.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess with
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Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Things didn’t pan out that way as Williams found herself in the middle of this mess with Eady.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 June 2025
While scoring remains high compared to historical norms (teams are combining for a little under 14 runs per game overall), why mess with a seemingly good thing?
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 30 May 2025
But since then, Carmichael’s work has been distinguished by his investment in messing with the form.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess with
Cite this Entry
“Mess with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20with. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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