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
These chemicals may mess with the balance of the gut microbiome.
—
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 7 Mar. 2025
According to a 2022 sleep study by Northwestern University, exposure to even moderate lighting can mess with our sleep and glucose and cardiovascular regulation.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2025
For a guy so comfortable antagonizing a room, who likes to mess with people, this comes as a surprise.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Spencer is emotionally but also physically not to be messed with when this season opens.
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess with
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Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 7 Mar. 2025
According to a 2022 sleep study by Northwestern University, exposure to even moderate lighting can mess with our sleep and glucose and cardiovascular regulation.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2025
For a guy so comfortable antagonizing a room, who likes to mess with people, this comes as a surprise.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Spencer is emotionally but also physically not to be messed with when this season opens.
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess with
Articles Related to mess with
Cite this Entry
“Mess with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20with. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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