mess
noun
a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition.
were messing
-
past progressiveof mess.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Outside, a group of parents sat around long picnic tables, ignoring their kids who were messing around in the dirt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025
"We just wanted to say we were messing around," Jones later said in a video standing alongside Evans, with both saying they were "sorry".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2024
“They were messing with us at every checkpoint. They were saying, ‘You are young, only 38, you will come back with weapons.’”
From New York Times ● Nov. 8, 2022
“They didn’t know what they were messing with.”
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2021
Chloe could tell they were messing with her, but she had no idea how much.
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
