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 Titans were a bit of a mess with Will Levis at quarterback, and once he was hurt, the team moved to Mason Rudolph.
—
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
And not only from a game perspective, but from a mental health perspective, because these shows can mess with you.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025
Once the league’s best franchise, the Sparks have devolved into a rudderless mess with constant changes in leadership, no real stars and only recently announced plans for a new practice facility after being relegated to temporary locker rooms at a community college.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
Our noble forefathers consented to hang anyone who messed with the currency.
—Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mess with 
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Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
And not only from a game perspective, but from a mental health perspective, because these shows can mess with you.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025
Once the league’s best franchise, the Sparks have devolved into a rudderless mess with constant changes in leadership, no real stars and only recently announced plans for a new practice facility after being relegated to temporary locker rooms at a community college.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
Our noble forefathers consented to hang anyone who messed with the currency.
—Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mess with
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Cite this Entry
“Mess with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20with. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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